Bebop Scales

[dogbite]

I find that excessive use of pentatonics, even to play out, a bit boring after a while. They tend to sound like what they are , pentatonics, regardless of whether you use them 'in' or 'out'

One idea is to to keep them from getting stale fast is to combine pentatonics with an arpeggio in order to keep them from sounding monotonous and to provide some sort of reference

For example using B minor pentatonic (D major) against a Cma7 you could start off of a one octave Cma7 arppeggio and finish it off with a B minor pentatnic run, or vice a versa...

of course; one device among many...

i use triads a lot in this regard; for example, F, C, and G (as well as Dm, Am and Em) for Dm7 and major triads separated by minor thirds from its V chord for an A13b9 sound: A, C, Eb and Gb. applying the half-step chromaticism to the triads of the tonic (such as Db to C or E to F) are good here too; as for all things in life, season to taste

[JohnW400]

Great stuff. Let's continue with that. It seems we're stuck here

[dogbite]

Great stuff. Let's continue with that. It seems we're stuck here

stuck?

Shut Up 'n Play Yer Guitar - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

stucco homes - frank zappa

one of the things you can do to get unstuck in pentatonics is to mix 'em up freely as to not be in either:

Am pentatonic / Em pentatonic as

1) A minor pentatonic add B (A B C D E G)

where the B is introduced sparingly

2) E minor pentatonic add C (A B C D E G)

where the C is introduced sparingly

3) the B and C used freely, as in a true hexatonic...

i use the Am and Em triads a lot when employing this, to project an Am9 as a sonority within the embedded triads:


-----------------------------------------------------5-----7---5-8-7-
-----------------------------------5-----5---5-8---5---5-8---5-------
-----------------------4-----5---4-----5---4-----5-------------------
-----------5-----7---5-----7---5-----7-------------------------------
-----7---7-----7---7-----7-------------------------------------------
-5-8---7-----8-------------------------------------------------------

i realize that the "box pattern" used here is cumbersome from a "arpeggio" standpoint, that especially the G on the second string may best be fingered on the first; however, i wanted to keep the tabs as "square" as possible. for the record, i use a twelve-position system that freely incorporates the double-whole-step stretches used here:


-----------------------------------3-5-7------------
--------------------------*[3]-5-7------------------
-------------------4-5-[7]*-------------------------
-------------4-5-7----------------------------------
-------3-5-7----------------------------------------
-3-5-7----------------------------------------------

which are often way more appropriate for arpeggio-type situations. apologies also to john for running with the word "stuck" because it immediately reminded me of a zappa tune

the D above middle C may be played on either the second or third string, hence the brackets...

[JohnW400]

Your first pattern reminds me of some interval studies using pentatonics

Ami (4ths/3rds)

------------------------------------------5---
-----------------------------5-----8----5-------
-----------------5-----7---5-----7----5-----------
-----5----7----5-----7---5-----7-------------------
---5-----7---5-----7-----------------------------
-5-----8---------------------------------------

(5ths/6th

-------------------------------------8----------
-----------------5------8-----5----5----------------
-----5----7----------5------7----------------------
---------5-----7-----------5------7-----------------
---7---------5------7----------------------------
-5-----8---------------------------------------



The next ones would be 6ths/7ths (AGE, CAG etc)


For octaves you could do compund octaves or you could mix the octave with a different the interval say, do power chords (AEA, CGC, DAD, ECE* , GDG. ) * E+ power chord

or 148 (ADA ect)


I would do these off of the major and its modes.


And of course you could do this with any pentatonic like my favorite, the Kumoi scale (1 2 b3 5 6) or as I also call it, the tonic minor pentatonic

[JohnW400]

Lets not forget about panditonic chords for this scale either.

You can take 3,4 5 or 6 notes and move them through the pentatonic. One of my favorites is (in C)

xxGCDE (xx5530)

this moves like this:

xxGCDE
xxADEG
XXCEGA
xxDGAC
xxEACD

A nice 5 note version

GDxCEA
AExDGC
CGxEAD
DAxGCE (12X343)
ECxADG (13x244)