Bass Emporium Newsletter - April 2009
Ed Friedland's
Bass Emporium Lesson #8: The Pentatonic Scale
by Ed Friedland
This month we're going to look at our good friend the Pentatonic (5-note) scale—the DNA of rock and roll. The Pentatonic scale has roots in many different cultures from around the world, but its influence on American music is directly linked to the Africans that were forcibly brought here as prisoners of colonial greed. Not only did they build our early economy, they created a musical heritage that has over time become known as distinctly American—the blues. The blues was one of the important influences of jazz, and a direct descendant of rock and roll. I'm not trying to get all heavy on you with the socio-political commentary, but in examining this scale, and its effect on American music, I can't sugar-coat the truth of it's origins.
Okay, back to music. The Pentatonic scale comes in many forms, but the most common is the Minor Pentatonic scale. The scale formula is: R—b3—4—5—b7—8.
Example 1 shows you the Minor Pentatonic scale in A, starting on the 5th fret of the E string, the notes being ACDEGA. It is instantly recognizable as the ubiquitous "box shape" that has fueled 90% of all rock music. This pattern forms a very convenient grouping of notes in one position. But if you've been reading through the previous lessons, you know by now that I'm not about convenience. Here's the deal: To really understand what you're working with, you have to play it all over the neck.
Examples 2a through f show you all the "normal" ways to play this scale starting on the open A string.
2a is the most logical approach, using the open strings to their full advantage.
2b eliminates the open D and G strings.
2c includes a shift up to the 7th fret for the final note on the D string.
2d shifts up to the 7th fret on the A string.
2e has you shift up the A string to the 10th fret, and
2f lays out the scale completely on the A string. Yes, some of these fingerings are not practical at fast speeds, but in the words of the immortal BTO classic—you ain't seen nothin' yet!
Examples 3a through g show you the various straight ahead fingerings starting on the 5th fret of the E string.
3a moves backward and uses the open D and G strings.
3b eliminates the open strings.
3c shifts up the A string to the 7th fret.
3d is once again the typical fingering for this scale shown in Example 1.
3e moves up the E string to the 10th fret.
3f and
3g have you shift up to the 12th fret.
By now, I hope you can see the pattern of how these fingerings develop. I deliberately work the possibilities from the bottom of the neck toward the higher frets. This way, I can make sure I don't miss any potential fingerings before I start looking for new ones up the neck.
As promised, Examples 4 and 5 get freaky. These are the "oddball" fingerings that serve no practical purpose, but really force you into considering how the notes are found all throughout the neck.
Examples
4a through
d are just some of the possibilities starting on open A.
Examples
5a through
d start on the 5th fret on the E string. I won't give you the play-by-play on these, just try them out and see what they do. Yeah, they're nuts, but understanding the logic behind how they are found will bring you closer to fingerboard mastery.
Okay, I've chewed your food for you enough for one month (urp... peas and carrots again?). Once you've gone through these examples, it's time for you to get off your duff and do them in all keys! May I suggest you do the key of E first, as it is undoubtedly the most popular for this particular scale?
Ed Friedland is a renowned Bassist, Educator and Author. He has authored over 15 books and DVDs and has played with the likes of Joe Beck, Larry Coryell, Robben Ford, Paul Horn, Clay Jenkins, Mike Metheny, Bud Shank, Lew Tabackin & Michal Urbaniak to name just a few. Ed is also currently teaching at Bass Emporium in Austin, Texas. Check out the Ed Friedland website for full information about him at http://www.edfriedland.com/.
