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what does it mean to play ,say penatonic scales over chords?..


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Posted

if i'm playing say a chord progression of ... E-B-A....what would be the order to play over it? i know the minor E penatonic scale ..i thought you just played it over any songs that started in the key of E?..can someone please help me understand the playing over chords thing? do you play in a different place on the fretboard in the E minor penatonic scale ..over the position of say the A chord? or the B chord?....thanks in advance for the help...kevin

Posted

"Play x scale over y chord" merely means to play a certain scale while a particular chord is being played. You can play that scale anywhere on the neck at any time.

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Posted

this site will help you learn the essential 5 pentatonic shapes

 

http://www.guitarconsultant.com/pentatonic.html

 

you could play the scales shown on that site over the chord progression Aminor-Dminor-Eminor

 

if you wanted to play it in Bminor (for example) you simply move the first shape up so it starts on the 7th (B) fret and all the other shapes follow on in the same pattern.

 

1st shape, then second shape, then third shape, etc...

 

 

:)

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Posted

 

Originally posted by cadillacman

if i'm playing say a chord progression of ... E-B-A....what would be the order to play over it? i know the minor E penatonic scale ..i thought you just played it over any songs that started in the key of E?..can someone please help me understand the playing over chords thing? do you play in a different place on the fretboard in the E minor penatonic scale ..over the position of say the A chord? or the B chord?....thanks in advance for the help...kevin

 

 

You could play Em pentatonic or E blues scale. Blues scale same as Em pent except it includes "blue note" (A#).

 

You could also play over the chord...

 

E >>> C#m pentatonic

 

B >>> G#m pentatonic

 

A >>> F#m pentatonic

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Posted

thanks ...i think playing over the chords like you outlined was what i was wondering....

 

i've got the blues scale down also...i'm trying to work om the major scale!....

 

 

E = C#m...how did you come to those 3 different scales to work over the chord played?...so if i'm playing a song in E & it stops on the note ove E ,i can play a C#m over it huh ?...instead of just playing the E penatonic over the E B A ?...what scale would the C#m be that i'd play over an E chord?..i get it's the pentatonic scale in minor now!...i'm tryingto get this stuff ..cool

 

 

Thanks Virgman...so all i'd have to do is drop back 3 to make it the minor pentatonic over the major chord..right ..i see...

 

so how is this used? if the songs chords are in E A B ...then at what piont would you play over say the B chord or the A chord?..i know you can -play over the E as you explained..i get that now...but can you play over the other chords that are in the progression? even though the E is the Key ?..thanks...i hope this makes since..

Posted

 

Originally posted by cadillacman


Thanks Virgman...so all i'd have to do is drop back 3 to make it the minor pentatonic over the major chord..right ..i see...

 

 

This relationship is called relative major/relative minor. Move down three frets from major and you're in the relative minor (same notes), and vice versa from minor to be in major.

 

 

but can you play over the other chords that are in the progression? even though the E is the Key ?..thanks...i hope this makes since..

 

 

 

Since the progression is entirely in the key of E major, then the E major scale will fit all of it. The notes that make up the E, A, and B chords can all be found in the E major scale. On some of the chords, some of the notes might not sound so great to land on or emphasize (they work as passing notes though).

 

Pentatonics are just incomplete major scales. They contain 5 of the 7 notes of the scale, and as such will work for the same reason the major scale works.

 

In fact, one of the reasons why pentatonics are so popular is that they are missing the two notes that can be problematic as I mentioned above. These notes can be used successfully, but they require a little more understanding and consideration to use (i.e., know when and how to use them and when not to). The major pentatonic side steps this a little by omitting them. In the short run, it makes it easier to solo, but in the long run you miss out on two notes that can be very colorful when used correctly.

 

(note: I'm talking about the major pentatonic starting on the same note as the key for all of this, i.e. E major pentatonic in the key of E major).

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Posted

Here is a neat free program that shows the various scales horizontally on the fretboard.

 

http://www.fusionsite.co.uk/software/fretnav.htm

 

Look at the E major scale and then the corresponding pentatonic scales. You will see they share notes. Also look at the chord and the notes they share with the scales.

 

As Poparad said, you can play the scale over the chords in one position or move around.

 

Secret to universe = Notes of chord played over chord equals good sound.

 

The scales help you find those notes.

 

Play a midi progression or track and jam over it in the scales. Use your ear and find the "good" sound. Here the root note when you play it. Root of E chord = E, B chord = B, etc.

 

Here's free midi's:

 

http://www.torvund.net/guitar/Backing/BluesProgressions.asp

 

Memorize the pentatonic scales first. Their simpler and you can be up and running faster. Jimmy page uses Minor pent scales alot with Led Zeppelin.

 

Blues scale is a slight difference. Look at Em pent and E blues in Fretboard Navigator.

 

Then memorize the major scale. Expand your horizons. Modes just signify the root note where you start the major scale.

 

After you do that (a few months from now) you can memorize the Harmonic minor and Melodic minor scales.

 

Memorize the scale patterns and move around to change keys.

 

Pretty soon you will be listening to jazz. You will know who Miles Davis and Wes Montgomery are. You will sound intelligent and sophisticated. You will wear a beret. No one will know what you are talking about.

 

Remember the "Secret to universe".

 

Keep jamming.

 

:cool:

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Posted

hey thanks guys...i've got a book ..i've had it for a year or so..& have been trying to pull from it what i need to play the 60-70-80's rock i grew up with....it is call the ultimate scale book....by TROY STETINA...an older guy at a small guitar shop , recomended it to me & it's been a great help...it's a pocket guide , book published by hal leonard..

 

 

but it still get a little confusing here & there....you know!...thanks again ..kevin..

 

 

oh i'm no where close to being done with needing help...i need to start picking apart some more songs & i get stuck on stuff ..i'll throw it up on here & maybe , someone can see me throw a little on the tougher parts?..thanks again..kevin...that little lesson helped me big time!..

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Posted

Let me break this down for you and I hope this helps. If you want to play E penatonic over some chords, for it to sound good the chords have to be in the E penatonic scale. If you are playing chords that are not in the scale then you might be playing notes that arent in the scale (which can be done on purpose to create a certain sound), but if you are a begginer chances are it will end up sounding crappy. I would just stick to what I said and things should sound a lot better. I'm kind of a begginer too but I had a friend who has a lot of experience with guitar help teach me a lot so I still know what it's like to not understand stuff. Hope I helped.

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Posted

thanks man...that did help me out too...so if the chord shapes are in the scale shapes ..it is cool to play that scale over those chords..correct...does this go for any scale or just the pentatonics?...thanks again kevin...

Posted

That goes for any scale, but actually not as well for pentatonics.

 

 

You can think of pentatonics are partial scales. They are 5/7ths of a major scale. Our Western harmony is derived from chords made from notes of the major scale, so if you can figure out what major scale your pentatonic scale is from (or figure out what major scale the progression is from) then you're good to go. It's all about chords fitting into the major scale (for the most part - you can build chords from other scales, but it's not as common outside of more harmonically complex music like jazz).

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Posted

Here is an idea on how to improvise soloing with someone who is playing.

Have someone play the chords G,C,D,E,A,B on top of the tab as rythem, two guitars.

 

G G G G G G G C C C

E--------------------------------------------8---10-----13

B------------------------------4---6---8----

G-----------------------3---5---------------

D----------------3---5----------------------

A---------3---5-----------------------------

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

 

E E E E E E E E E E E A A

E---------------------------------------10--12--15--

B-------------------------8----10---12------

G-----------------7----9--------------------

D---------7---9-----------------------------

A-7---9-------------------------------------

E-------------------------------------------

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Posted

Yea the penatonic scale is pretty much the major scale but with a bunch of notes missing. So if you learn your major scales, you can still play penatonic if you want but you can do A LOT more with it. A good major scale to start out learning is G major. Once you learn the major scales you can play them in any major key because they are all the same. For example if you learn G major but then you want to play A major, you move everything on the G major scale up the neck two frets (which puts the root note on the A making it A major). I know it's hard to understand things when people are just throwing a bunch of terms that you dont know at you but just stick with it man.

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