Re: [Harp-L] Blues scale vs. Pentatonic scale

["Guy Buxman" <gbuxman@xxxxxxxxx>]

Thanks Vince and Bob!

That does help. I guess my confussion was based in the book's total omission
of the *Minor* pentatonic scale.

I agree that the pentatonic scale is not limited to country/western; the
signature riff in "My Girl" is a classic example of the pentatonic scale in
an R&B tune.

Thanks for your input,

Guy


On 10/30/07, Vince Meghrouni <Foomcorp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>
> What you stated for the pentatonic scale is the major pentatonic scale.
>
> The pentatonic scale the guitar players you've encountered are
> referring to the minor pentatonic scale, which is, using your
> nomenclature:
>
> I + IIIb + IV + V + VIIb
>
> Which, if you'll notice, becomes the blues scale when you add a
> passing chromatic tone between the IV & V
>
> And, if you'll notice, start a major pentatonic on the VI (or think
> of it as the fifth note of the major pentatonic scale) and you get a
> minor pentatonic scale.  Start a minor pentatonic on the second note
> of that minor pentatonic, and you'll get a major pentatonic.
>
> Let's use notes, not numbers:
>
> C Major pentatonic:
>
> C D E G A
>
> A Minor pentatonic:
>
> A C D E G
>
> A Minor blues scale:
>
> A C D Db E G A
>
> Hope this makes sense.
>
> By the way, I've found that the major pentatonic scale works very
> well not only in country, but in R & B and Rock n' Roll.  You use it
> a little differently, but it's a good glue scale to go between blues
> and dominant sounds.
>
> Rex "Rich" Tobago
> Professional musical instrument owner
>
>
> On Oct 30, 2007, at 7:54 PM, Guy Buxman wrote:
>
> > Playing harp in a garage band and performing at many jams around
> > Southern
> > California, I routinely encounter guitar players who assert that
> > the blues
> > scale is merely the pentatonic scale with a few flattened notes.
> > Now I'm
> > only just learning about music theory so I don't claim to be an
> > expert;
> > however the reading I've done recently describes a distinct scale
> > for blues.
> >
> > If I understand it rightly, the blues scale is:
> > I + III b + IV + V b + V + VII b
> >
> > and the pentatonic scale which, according to David Harp, is most
> > commonly
> > used for country/western is:
> > I + II + III + V + VI
> >
> > Is there any real correlation between the pentatonic and the blues
> > scales?
> >
> > - GB
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