Piano Improvisation with Rosa

Understanding Pentatonic Scales

It is a 5-note scale hence the name penta-five.

The cool thing about the pentatnoic scale is thatit can be used with almost all chord types, which makes it an easy scale to fall back on in just about any solo situation.

There are 2 different pentatonic scales: major and minor

Major pentatonic scale

this is the most familiar one.

the intervals between the notes in the major pentatonic scale:

W  W  W+H  W  W+H

C  D  E  G  A

If you play the major pentatonic scale can be had by playing all the black notes on a piano starting with Gb.  It is a Gb pentatonic scale.

The resulting sound is a trifle oriental.

If you alter the order of the notes, you get a very versatile tool chest to use in your solos.

for this reason, the pentatonic sale is one of the secret weapons of skilled improvisers, it can be used in any number of  musical situations.

You can play pentatoinc scales with major chords, minor chords, and dominant 7th chords — and they all sound great.

Here’s something cool about the major pentatonic scale.

In any major key — there are actually 3 major pentatonic scales you can employ in your solos

— starting on the tonic, 4th, and 5th of the key.

For eg.  In C major, you can play:

• C major pentatonic:  C D E F A
• F major pentatonic:  F G A C D
• G major pentatonic:  G A B D E

Each of these pentatonic scales has a much different feel when played against the underlying key; try soloing on each of the 3 pentatonic scales to hear the differences.

Tip:  I prefer the sound of the major pentatonic scale that starts on the 5th of the underlying scale; it fits well with both the I and the V chords.

Minor Pentatonic Scale

Even though this 5-note scale is used less frequently than the major pentatonic scale, it is still a useful tool.

The intervals between the notes int he minor pentatonic scale:

W+H    W   W   W+H   W

1  b3  4   5  b7

C  Eb  F  G  Bb

Interestingly, the minor pentatonic scale contains the same notes as the major pentatonic scale starting a minor 3rd up.

So C minor pentatonic scale contains the same note as the Eb major pentatonic scale — and the A minor pentatonic scale is reserved for use with minor chords and on occasion, dom 7th chords.

Pentatonic scales contain exactly 5 notes, exclusive of the octave.

Pentatonic scales are commonly used in music from Africa and Asia.

Pentatonic scales commonly used in jazz are the major and minor pentatonic scales:

C major pentatonic scale: C D E G A C

A minor pentatonic scale: A C D E G A

Major and minor pentatonic belong to the same modal family with the minor pentatonic scale containingthe same notes as the major pentatnoic scale a minor 3rd above.

Major pentatonic scale — also known as the diatonic pentatonic scale, consists of the ascending pattern:  W W m3 W m3

It may also be thought of as a major scal with the 4th and 7th notes omitted.

Major pentatonic scales may also be used over maj7 and dom7 chords.

For maj 7th chords, there are 3 options:

1.  the major pentatonic scale built on the root of the chord

C D  E G A C

2. the major pentatonic scale built on the 5th of the chord

G A B D E G

3. the major pentatonic scale built on the 9th of the chod

D E F# (+11) A B D

— The first choice contains the smallest number of chord extensions, the latter choice the greatest, including the #11 of the chord.

When using the pentatonic scale over unaltered dom 7th chords, the major pentatonic scale built on the root of the chord is the best choice.

When improvising o dom chords with altered 5ths and 9ths, the major pentatonic scale a tritone (dim 5th) away from the root of the chord works best.

This option contains alterations of both the 5ths and the 9th:

C7 — C D E G A C

C7+9+5 —  Gb Ab Bb Db Eb Gb

MAJOR pentatonic scales also maybe used when improvising over ii-V-I progressions.

If the V chord is unaltered, the major pentatonic built on the root of the I chord or the V chord may be used over all 3 chords in the progression:

Dm7  G7  CM7

Dm7 – C D E G A C

G7 – C D E G A C

CM7 – C D E G A C

Dm7 G7 CM7

Dm7 — G A B D E G

G7   —   G A B D E G

CM7 –  G A B D E G

If the dominant chord is altered,t he major pentatonic scale a tritone away from the root of the dominant chord should be used over the V chord:

Dm7  — C D E G A C

G7 +9+5 —  Db  Eb  F  Ab  Bb  Db

CM7 — C D E G A C

Dm7 — G A B D E G

G7 +0+5 — Eb Eb F Ab Bb Db

CM7 — G A B D E G