Yet again, Mr. Ransley delivers another awesome Pentatonic guitar lesson. If you haven't yet checked out part 1 of Robert's Pentatonic lesson, I highly recommend that you check that one out first, before continuing with this one. You can find the first installment here. I'll now turn over the reins - enjoy!

Pentatonic Scales (lesson 2)
(For any instrument)

Hi all,
Robert here with the second part to the pentatonic lesson. I hope you got a grasp on lesson one because this lesson is a direct continuation. Enjoy it and remember if you have any questions place them in any comment section of www.bluesandjazzguitar.blogspot.com. Have fun!

What follows is the superimposing of a major pentatonic scale, whose root will change, over a static root. This will produce the relationship of:

Maj. Pent.
Static root

The major pentatonic scale will ascend by half step and we will analyze the resulting tones when played over a fundamental static bass note (root).

At this point I will refer to all non chord tones (2nds, 4ths and 6ths) as their compound interval equivalent (9ths, 11ths and 13ths). These are also known as the extensions of the chord or scale. So:

2nds = 9ths
4ths = 11ths
6ths = 13ths

Let’s start with C major pentatonic (1, 9, 3, 5, 13) over a root C or mathematically I/I (Maj. Pent./Fundamental static root)



Note that in the “fraction” I/I, the fact that both roman numbers are the same simply means that the roots are the same. The roman number on the left will be the major pentatonic scale and it shares the same root as the roman number on the right which is the fundamental bass note.

Now, we want to analyze this relationship and see the resulting tones to determine over what chord(s) it will fit.



So, when a C note is sounding in the bass and you play a C maj. pent. scale, the resulting tones are those listed above the scale. We need to see which notes are chord tones (part of the structure of the chord), that way we’ll know what type of chord it fits. Chord tones in this case are 1 = Root; 3 = Major 3rd; 5 = Perfect 5th. A clear major triad is formed inside the structure of a (or any) major pentatonic scale. So this scale must sound good over a C major chord. The 9th and 13th are the extensions or color tones.

In lesson 3 we’ll start to compare this scale with other roots and you’ll see all the neat sounds it produces! ‘Til then, bye…