kewlpack
01-21-2005, 04:55 PM
I posted this on the Les Paul Forum to answer a young player's question about "where can I go next on a pentatonic scale". I thought it would be useful to post here. You never know when someone might need the theory!
Here we go:
=======================
All Pentatonic (and Blues) positions are sequentially linked.
Here are the positions (key of Am) - they are the same for each key. As long as you know what key you are in, you can then jump around as needed - the theory is always the same. The fingerings don't change (Note: the following examples are based on one set of positions - there is another set of fingerings, but don't worry about them just now).
1st Position:
5 - - 8
5 - 7 -
5 - 7 -
5 - 7 -
5 - - 8
5 - - 8
2nd Position:
- 8 - 10
7 - - 10
7 - - 10
7 - 9 -
- 8 - 10
- 8 - 10
3rd Position:
- 10 - 12
- 10 - 12
- 10 - 12
9 - - 12
- 10 - - 13
- 10 - 12
4th Position:
12 - - 15
12 - - 15
12 - 14 -
12 - 14 -
- 13 - 15
12 - - 15
5th Position:
- 15 - 17
- 15 - 17
14 - - 17
14 - - 17
- 15 - 17
- 15 - 17
If you look closely you will notice that each subsequent position first note picks up on the last note of each string/position - like this:
1st Position:......2nd Position:.....3rd Position:
.......last...........first....last............fir st....last
5 - - 8...............- 8 - 10..............- 10 - 12
5 - 7 -...............7 - - 10..............- 10 - 12
5 - 7 -...............7 - - 10..............- 10 - 12
5 - 7 -...............7 - 9 -...............9 - - 12
5 - - 8...............- 8 - 10..............- 10 - - 13
5 - - 8...............- 8 - 10..............- 10 – 12
etc... the cool thing is that the Fifth position links to the First position in the same way all the other positions link, which means the positions just start over (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 1, etc.) - completing a full "circle"! It's really cool once you get your mind around it.
So to answer your question - you would use the 5th position scale to go down (lower notes) on the neck, then the 4th, then the 3rd... everything links exactly the same way. Like this:
5th Position.......1st Position:
.......last........first....last
- 3 - 5...........5 - - 8
- 3 - 5...........5 - 7 -
2 - - 5...........5 - 7 -
2 - - 5...........5 - 7 -
- 3 - 5...........5 - - 8
- 3 - 5...........5 - - 8
Hope that helps!! Hope it was clear!
~A~
Here we go:
=======================
All Pentatonic (and Blues) positions are sequentially linked.
Here are the positions (key of Am) - they are the same for each key. As long as you know what key you are in, you can then jump around as needed - the theory is always the same. The fingerings don't change (Note: the following examples are based on one set of positions - there is another set of fingerings, but don't worry about them just now).
1st Position:
5 - - 8
5 - 7 -
5 - 7 -
5 - 7 -
5 - - 8
5 - - 8
2nd Position:
- 8 - 10
7 - - 10
7 - - 10
7 - 9 -
- 8 - 10
- 8 - 10
3rd Position:
- 10 - 12
- 10 - 12
- 10 - 12
9 - - 12
- 10 - - 13
- 10 - 12
4th Position:
12 - - 15
12 - - 15
12 - 14 -
12 - 14 -
- 13 - 15
12 - - 15
5th Position:
- 15 - 17
- 15 - 17
14 - - 17
14 - - 17
- 15 - 17
- 15 - 17
If you look closely you will notice that each subsequent position first note picks up on the last note of each string/position - like this:
1st Position:......2nd Position:.....3rd Position:
.......last...........first....last............fir st....last
5 - - 8...............- 8 - 10..............- 10 - 12
5 - 7 -...............7 - - 10..............- 10 - 12
5 - 7 -...............7 - - 10..............- 10 - 12
5 - 7 -...............7 - 9 -...............9 - - 12
5 - - 8...............- 8 - 10..............- 10 - - 13
5 - - 8...............- 8 - 10..............- 10 – 12
etc... the cool thing is that the Fifth position links to the First position in the same way all the other positions link, which means the positions just start over (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 1, etc.) - completing a full "circle"! It's really cool once you get your mind around it.
So to answer your question - you would use the 5th position scale to go down (lower notes) on the neck, then the 4th, then the 3rd... everything links exactly the same way. Like this:
5th Position.......1st Position:
.......last........first....last
- 3 - 5...........5 - - 8
- 3 - 5...........5 - 7 -
2 - - 5...........5 - 7 -
2 - - 5...........5 - 7 -
- 3 - 5...........5 - - 8
- 3 - 5...........5 - - 8
Hope that helps!! Hope it was clear!
~A~