Pentatonic Power.
Learn Guitar Trick Number 11 - Minor Pentatonic Scale System C Minor The key of C has always been feature key in most 'Learn to play' guitar books, in fact it's difficult to escape songs like 'Mary Had A Little Lamb', 'Pop Goes the Weasel' and other such favorites if you are learning to read music on guitar, it doesn't matter if you want to play AC/DC or Creedence you're still going to cop the 'Weasel' treatment in the key of C. Since the key of C doesn't have any sharps or flats it is the ideal key for teachers to explain theoretical concepts to beginning music students this also means that unfortunately this key is also the most commonly played (and heard) key which makes it difficult to get excited about, mostly because the sound of the key is so familiar. The key of C is no less interesting than any of the other keys it's just than it tends to sound plain rather like a slice of plain 'white bread' it needs something to make it more interesting, a good dose of the C minor pentatonic scale played over a C major chord will add an exciting flavor to a very musical texture. Minor pentatonic scale system C minor The notes in the C minor pentatonic scale are: C Eb F G Bb (C) If you played these notes anywhere on the guitar fingerboard you will be playing the C minor pentatonic scale. Here's the most common fingering pattern for the scale C using your first finger behind the eight fret, sixth string Eb played with the fourth finger, fret eleven, sixth string F first finger, eight fret, fifth string G played with your third finger behind the tenth fret, fifth string Bb first finger, eight fret, fourth string C Minor pentatonic scale pattern 8[10] 810 [8]11 Keynotes indicated as [ ]
The same scale one octave higher. C minor pentatonic one octave higher: [8] 811 810 [10] Now for another way to play the C minor pentatonic scale: 8[10] 6810 6[8] Keynotes or root notes are your reference points in the scale, they are the notes that the scale takes it's name from e.g., the note on the sixth string, eight fret is called C, similarly the note on the four string, tenth fret is also called C therefore these notes act as keynotes for the C minor pentatonic scale. Try recording your own practice backgrounds using power chords of the same name as the notes of the C minor pentatonic scale, you could use any of the following power chords... C Eb F G Bb (C) Notice how these chords have the same names as the notes of the C minor pentatonic scale. Typical chord progression(s) would be: C /// | Eb /// | F /// | G /// || or C /// | Eb /// |G /// | F /// || For something different you might want to play standard full chords in place of the power chords, the minor pentatonic scale will still work over these chords, it will just depend on what type of chord sound is appropriate for the music you are playing on the guitar. And now I'd like to invite you to get free access to my "How To Remember 1,000 Songs" eCourse. You can download the course for free at: http://www.guitarcoaching.com You'll learn about hit song templates, easy chords, simple scales, red hot rhythms, and successful practice strategies in text, audio and video. From Mike Hayes The Guitar Coaching Guy & the Express Guitar System Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mike_P_Hayes
Pentatonic Power.