Am pentatonic scales: how 2b more creative in playing?

[wwewwf3000]

Hi all,
I am a scale rookie, just started learning Am pentatonic few mths ago.My learning progress quite slow.

I managed to map out all the Am pentatonic scales (A,C,D,E,G) on my electric guitar fretboard (at the 1st , 5th, 12th).

Any advice on:
1) How can I be more creative in playing them?
2) I am trying to play the Am pentatonic scales by linking them all together (1st to 5th to 12th) in a smooth pattern ....but not sure how to do it.

 

[predz23]

try playing only the first two strings, the High E and B and move from from a lower fret to a higher or vice versa. and keep doing that.

 

[karlie]

Hi all,
I am a scale rookie, just started learning Am pentatonic few mths ago.My learning progress quite slow.

I managed to map out all the Am pentatonic scales (A,C,D,E,G) on my electric guitar fretboard (at the 1st , 5th, 12th).

Any advice on:
1) How can I be more creative in playing them?
2) I am trying to play the Am pentatonic scales by linking them all together (1st to 5th to 12th) in a smooth pattern ....but not sure how to do it.

hey man! well, you can try string skipping. for example

-------------------------15s17s15--
--------13-----------13------------
------------12-14-12--------------
--12-14---------------------------
----------------------------------
-----------------------------------

this is some lick i came out with quite a while ago.
besides string skipping you could try just picking one time and letting your fingers continuously playing. like

E ---3-5-8---

you pick once and then you let your fingers take you through the rest.

there are certain licks you can find which link everything together
well in my opinion, the more licks you learn and try to come out with yourself, the better you'll learn the scale and its positions! haha

hoped this help!

 

[fuzztremecho]

hi bro

listened to Stairway to Heaven..the 1st few parts of the solo is rooted in Aminor Pentatonic..copped the licks to your playing..shall be able to expand your horizon thru that few notes..if Jimmy can do it,so can you..

 

[Godspeed64]

It's all about messing around..
Knowing the scale is one thing, but phrasing your solo, is another..

I suggest you be proficient in your scales first.. Practice going up and down for each pattern of the same scale, then do triplets, then quadruplets..
Then, link each pattern together, just a simple slide will do..

Once you can do so without any mistakes (important! play without distortion), and using the CORRECT fingers for the CORRECT notes, then you're ready to solo..

Best way to spice up your solos, is to move from pattern to pattern, include sliding, hammer-ons, pull-offs and bending (make sure you bend and hit the correct notes!!!)..

Then comes the hardest part - phrasing your solo.. By now the notes should be of second nature to you already; you can go through the entire scale all over the fretboard without even looking.. Now, choose the notes of your solo.. Can't always go up and down right and note, by note.. Do some string skipping, some rakes, pinch harmonics.. This part will take years to develop.. Sometimes, you can hit a note which is part of the scale, but you're aware that it doesn't sound right.. This is true cause doesn't mean the note can be played, it will sound good.. It's all about phrasing.. Best way to practice is to open jam to tracks, and review your playing afterwards (assuming you recorded it)..

The last part, is to expand your playing.. Don't just stick to one scale.. I love doing this: play blues for like 3 phrases, chuck the 4th idea I have developed already in my mind and play some lick in the major scale, then go back to blues.. Or add some arpeggios out of nowhere, and always go back to what you feel safe.. Can even throw in chromatic to add some jazzy feeling (but don't overkill!)..

Another fact, there are times when you solo, you are aware of what you want to play next.. You are in total control.. It is a hard state to achieve, and it can never occur throughout the entire solo.. This is where your effort on going up and down scales come to life.. Just mindlessly play until you think of something, or if you can't, go with feeeeeeeel!

 

[wwewwf3000]

Thanks! a few questions:

Thanks guys. A few questions:

1) Must I end each lick with A? it just sounds better as an ending. What other notes can I end with?

2) What kind/type of music do you recommend to increase my creativity in the use of Am pentatonic? Since I am still a rookie, maybe can recommend slower music that plays Am pentatonic scales.

3) Suppose if I play Am pentatonic scales and I don't see the fret board, I still cannot recognise whether each note I playing is either A,C, D or E, G. Must I train my hearing such that each note I pick , I can recognise each as A,C, D , E or G?
(i.e. Can guitar experts hear and recognise each note?)

 

[jeremyspk]

Hi all,
I am a scale rookie, just started learning Am pentatonic few mths ago.My learning progress quite slow.

I managed to map out all the Am pentatonic scales (A,C,D,E,G) on my electric guitar fretboard (at the 1st , 5th, 12th).

Any advice on:
1) How can I be more creative in playing them?
2) I am trying to play the Am pentatonic scales by linking them all together (1st to 5th to 12th) in a smooth pattern ....but not sure how to do it.

Hi.
I modified the Pentatonic by adding what i call "blue" notes and "jazz" notes... (not sure if it's an existing named scale..oh well)

Say in Aminor, I'll add Eb and G# notes...
---------------------------------------8-10-11--
------------------------------8-9-10------------
---------------------5-7-8-9--------------------
--------------5-6-7-----------------------------
-------5-6-7-------------------------------------
--5-8--------------------------------------------

This is the Cmajor Box style or the Am pentatonic derivative...
There's a Gmajor box style, slightly different...

Let me know if this scale is useful to play with

 

[djasli]

the key is....

the cornerstone of fretboard mastery is the concept of visualization; the art of 'seeing' your fretboard in your mind's eyes before you even fret a note on the fingerboard.

we do this drill at GIT everyday in class, (well, depending on your standards/class placement, actually)

also, always practise in front of a full-length mirror, standing up. look at your image in the mirror and see your fingerboard in the mirror. dont look down at your guitar to locate notes at all.

lastly, know the notes of the scale(s) you are practising: it is easy to remember ,say, an A minor blues scale notes:

1 b3 4 b5 5 b7 8
A C D Eb E G A

instead of remembering a scale shapes.

now, remember the notes, visualize them in your mind, match them to your fingerboard, and before you know it, you'll be mastering the notes of your fingerboard and not be bound by shapes. the scales shapes will comes after all these steps are said and done (and practised)

a distinct advantage about visualization is that you can do your practising in your mind, without the need for your axe. a very convinient way to practise anywhere and everywhere.

every scales have their distinct sounds; again, you will learnt to recognise a scale tonality without much effort after you years of blood sweat and tears....haha. that is why it looks very easy for skilled musicians to figure out chord progression, solos, songs and such in 1 or 2 listening session. or even ad-lib on a song without knowing the tune they are playing itself.

practising smart is the key, and please practise using a metronome and with a clean sound and in every styles/genres possible.

have fun ( practising your craft)..... nothing comes easy....

 

[wwewwf3000]

the cornerstone of fretboard mastery is the concept of visualization; the art of 'seeing' your fretboard in your mind's eyes before you even fret a note on the fingerboard.

we do this drill at GIT everyday in class, (well, depending on your standards/class placement, actually)

also, always practise in front of a full-length mirror, standing up. look at your image in the mirror and see your fingerboard in the mirror. dont look down at your guitar to locate notes at all.

lastly, know the notes of the scale(s) you are practising: it is easy to remember ,say, an A minor blues scale notes:

1 b3 4 b5 5 b7 8
A C D Eb E G A

instead of remembering a scale shapes.

now, remember the notes, visualize them in your mind, match them to your fingerboard, and before you know it, you'll be mastering the notes of your fingerboard and not be bound by shapes. the scales shapes will comes after all these steps are said and done (and practised)

a distinct advantage about visualization is that you can do your practising in your mind, without the need for your axe. a very convinient way to practise anywhere and everywhere.

every scales have their distinct sounds; again, you will learnt to recognise a scale tonality without much effort after you years of blood sweat and tears....haha. that is why it looks very easy for skilled musicians to figure out chord progression, solos, songs and such in 1 or 2 listening session. or even ad-lib on a song without knowing the tune they are playing itself.

practising smart is the key, and please practise using a metronome and with a clean sound and in every styles/genres possible.

have fun ( practising your craft)..... nothing comes easy....

Hey Djasli, thanks for the reply, pardon me , but I got a few questions.

Qn 1: When you do Visualization(the art of 'seeing' your fretboard in your mind's eyes before you even fret a note on the fingerboard),

(1) do you see the complete fretboard with the notes (the left diagram on this website- http://web.forret.com/tools/guitar.asp) ; or
(2) you visualise the fretboard with only the A C D E G notes appearing on the fretboard(at the 1st , 5th, 12th)?

I have difficulty memorising all the notes in the fretboard for option (1), but I can slowly count and figure out the notes on the fretboard (starting from E A D G B E, and counting down the strings).

Memorising option (2), i.e. the A C D E G on the fretboard is much easier. But I tend to memorise the shape of the A C D E G (at the 1st , 5th, 12th)- which you mentioned is wrong.

Qns 3: Must I train my hearing such that each note I pick , I can recognise each as A,C, D , E or G (at the 1st , 5th, 12th)? I still cannot recognise whether each note I playing is either A,C, D or E, G.

Qns 4: What is GIT? Is it a music school?

 

[fuzztremecho]

bro wwe

i am mentored by djasli currently..so after more than 20 years of playing..im sad to say that i still suck but now i suck a bit lesser...hehehehe

the art of visualisation of the fretboard ain't easy to master but as bro djasli mentioned,standing in front of a mirror does help in a way..

there is no easy way to remember the notes on the fretboard but MEMORISE and SAYING OUT LOUD unless you are of high-IQ..so there is a concept and formula to this as music theory is basically a mathematical concept..its a science actually and it really depends on how your brain works..mine is rusty so i do the MEMORISE and SAYING OUT LOUD..

GIT= Guitar Institute Tech..Music Institute..LA,USA.

on a side note..learning under Djasli is not easy as he demands the best out of you but its well worth it coz you go well over your comfort zone and explored things about your technique and style that you never know you are capable of..some softies here are currently learning from him..some local guitar pros studied under him..

he is a "sadistic" teacher who love to torture...many a times i've seen intense faces..me included..going through the drills with him..
..hehehehe..be warned !!!! hehehehe

ps: I am not paid by Djasli or given lesser fees to advertise him..I only hope for less "sadistic" lessons...

 

[Whitestrat]

1) How can I be more creative in playing them?

Knowing your scale is one thing. Knowing how to use it is another. Ever tried bending every single note on the scale? Trying to find out which notes sound good when bent in the scale? or which notes need to be bent further? Or sliding? Staccato playing? Legato? There are many many ways to play the Am scale. Picking note for note is one, slurring is another. Just try to hear your melody in your head according to the scale. Hum a tune, and play it the same way as your humming, including the slurred notes and the bent ones.

Here's a tip: Try playing a MELODY using that Am scale you learnt, except using only ONE octave of those notes. Not more. Just 5 notes (Pentatonic, right?). Once you can do a melody that doesn't make you cringe when you hear it yourself, then you're on your way.

Creativity in scales to me is very much phrasing. I can't teach anyone how to do this, nor can anyone effectively teach you how to phrase. That's the one bit that comes purely from you, and defines you as a player.

1) Must I end each lick with A? it just sounds better as an ending. What other notes can I end with?

Ask yourself: Why does it sound better as an ending? Is it because it sounds like you're giving that passage closure? How about leaving the ending hanging in the air? What note would that be? If your key was going to be transponsed from Am to Dm, what notes would you play to connect those 2 keys?

Most importantly, when begining or ending a passage, think of this first: What do you want to say to your audience?

 

[djasli]

=wwewwf3000;694409]Hey Djasli, thanks for the reply, pardon me , but I got a few questions.

Qn 1: When you do Visualization(the art of 'seeing' your fretboard in your mind's eyes before you even fret a note on the fingerboard),

(1) do you see the complete fretboard with the notes (the left diagram on this website- http://web.forret.com/tools/guitar.asp) ; or
(2) you visualise the fretboard with only the A C D E G notes appearing on the fretboard(at the 1st , 5th, 12th)?

I have difficulty memorising all the notes in the fretboard for option (1), but I can slowly count and figure out the notes on the fretboard (starting from E A D G B E, and counting down the strings).

Memorising option (2), i.e. the A C D E G on the fretboard is much easier. But I tend to memorise the shape of the A C D E G (at the 1st , 5th, 12th)- which you mentioned is wrong.

Qns 3: Must I train my hearing such that each note I pick , I can recognise each as A,C, D , E or G (at the 1st , 5th, 12th)? I still cannot recognise whether each note I playing is either A,C, D or E, G.

Qns 4: What is GIT? Is it a music school?

1. yes, i can 'see' the complete fretboard in my mind, every single not, from open string to the 12 fret. i can even 'imagine seeing my' fingers on the fretboard performing the exercises, be it chord progressions, scales or chord tones. you'd be amaze what your mind can do.

2. just like remembering your open string notes.. you can also remember 'bridging notes' on other parts of your fretboard. eg, 4th string 7th fret isalways gonna be A. if that's A, where's B? a whole tone higher right? easy. if you wan to, you can remember all the As on the fretboard and count from there. up to Bb B or down to G# G. starts again on the new note you just play. and, say out loud the names of the notes you are playing. you can do this with chords, single note, anything actually. say you play an A minor barred chord on 6th string root. your 1st finger gonna barred the whole 5th fret right? say out the names of the notes you are barring. you'll get : A E A C E and A, ascending from 6th string to 1st string. you just learnt to spell the Am chord = A C E. Now go to other parts of the fretboard, find those 3 notes again, walla!, you'd get a new Amin chord shape.

3. you don't exactly recognize the notes you're playing, unless you are born with perfect pitch. the rest of us poor souls use relative pitch. know the root or tonic or key tone, whatever you call it and compare that to the note you are currently playing. you'd hear the interval between the root and the note you are playing. you'd recognixe the note then.

4. G.I.T = Guitar Institute of Technology, Musicians Institute, Hollywood, California. Alumni includes John Frusciante of RHCP (my classmate) Paul Gilbert(duh), Jennifer Batten (Michael Jackson's session player), Scott Henderson of Tribal Tech, etc.

Local grads include me (grad,vocational honors) Daniel Chai (grad,vocational honors/best guitar student) Spencer Goh (Yamaha HOD) and Jay Soo (ex Yamaha instructor and now a big-time producer) and Choon Kang (not sure/loat contact)

Most grads of GIT went on to be performers and music executives. we are that well trained....haha.

hope this helps.

 

[djasli]

sadistic?

hey fuzztremecho,

whats that? i'm sadistic huh? nanti kau, kena dera lagi nanti!....

translation: you wait, i will do the drills again! ....

 

[djasli]

this is what i meant about fretboard mastery

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9P9-XAnI59U


by Carl Verheyen, GIT Instructor and awesome sessionist.