Using Maj and Minor pent in same key, Rockabilly/country/blues studies

[Gaetano Paul]

So in my studies I have ventured into country./rockabilly playing, with moving to the south and all;) . I have been working on the technique of using the maj and minor together, ie A maj and a min pent in the same song for flavor and skill. It otlally dig it in 1st position. But this guys says practice all 5 positions, go up minor, then decend major, this is causing some serious confusion, seems way too much. Anyone have any advice on practicing this, surely and cant be do all 5 patterns right off to start, or perhaps its just me

[jeremy_green]

Everything seems really hard at first... You really need to just stay at it and work your way through it. Start with the one pattern, then add another, then work between those two. Then add another and work between the 3. What seems impossible now will become possible

[mosiddiqi]

Think of it as one "super" scale. So, in A, your "pool" of notes is:

 

A B C C# D D# E F#G G#...I've left out the A# and F as they're less common in the context you're playing in (in my opinion that is )...so you can see you have TEN out of the 12 possible notes from the whole chromatic scale...so actually...you can play ANYTHING YOU LIKE..you only need to leave out 2 . Your "patterns" suddenly become ALMOST EVERY NOTE EVERYWHERE!!!...The key of course is in how the great players arrange these 10 notes in a solo, making catchy licks and melodies out of them..so I'd say learn some solo's!.

 

I know it's a rock solo, and maybe that isn't your bag, but "You Shook Me All Night Long" has a textbook Major/minor pentatonic solo that is pretty easy to learn if you're patient. I know exactly nothing about country, but in rock and blues, it's VERY common to freely move between the min3 and Maj3..or to be more exact, to bend the min3 up towards the Maj3..you hear it all the time, not quite landing on the Maj3..just nudging it. It's part of the vocabulary.

 

In terms of organising this on the fretboard, try and visualise the chord shapes you're playing over..so if it's a A7 chord at the 5th fret...try and "see" all those 10 notes I mentioned that are in and around a typical A7 chord. Do the same with all chord types everywhere. Good Luck!

[polishpaul]

Quoting JonR here, from his recent post in the currently-active Modes vs Key thread:

 

So, for any chord, you have the "most inside" notes - the triad chord tones. Then you have consonant extensions: still "inside", but more interesting. These may vary with context, but normally include the diatonic 7th, and a major 9th and 6th (if context permits).

Then you have a handful of "slightly outside" notes - diatonic extensions that would be dissonant, such as b6 on a vi or iii chord, or P4 on a I or V. These are always fine in passing, but not for holding on to.

Then lastly you have the "most outside" notes - the 5 chromatic, out of key, pitches. (Just occasionally, one or two of these will sound more "inside", or at least better, than diatonic extensions. This is the case with some alterations on a dom7.)

 

 

The trick is to figure out what suits you....one man's passing note might be another man's main note in a phrase, and held for while. The other man might not get the gig, though .

[benzem]

I suggest to also learn to switch scales in the same position. This helps with "seeing" the major/minor notes available w/o switching boxes...very helpful for blending the scales.

Clapton's crossroads is a great example, as are the one's listed above. One thing you will find is the masters mix them so seamlessly....very difficult to do well.

[Gaetano Paul]

 

I suggest to also learn to switch scales in the same position. This helps with "seeing" the major/minor notes available w/o switching boxes...very helpful for blending the scales. Clapton's crossroads is a great example, as are the one's listed above. One thing you will find is the masters mix them so seamlessly....very difficult to do well.

 

Right thats what I am talking about in the OP, both in the same positions, its proving to be very difficult

[benzem]

Right thats what I am talking about in the OP, both in the same positions, its proving to be very difficult

 

 

Ah I see. That's a pretty big bite, and am not suprised that you're finding it tough. Don't rush it!. Like Jeremy said, it WILL become 2nd nature, and when it is you will have come a long way.