So you have the concept understood as a whole & you know what you gotta do. Let's use a simple arpeggiated chord for an example.
You make a C-F-G backing track, simple folk or blues. Rather than trying to eat the apple in one bite, strum aling with C and F. When you get to the G part, arpeggiate it -- four, eight, or whatever beats. The next time around, shift position. Instead of rooting the G chord on the e string, root it on the fifth fret d string. So it goes. See what I am doing? Once the G chord, really a three note scale, has been mastered, same thing with the C or F.
Capischi?
Not really man.
What are you sayin'???
How is this related to pentatonic? Are you saying pick a chord? And then pick it??
Sorry!
A 1-3-5 could be considered a simple scale. It has an interval pattern. Agreeing on that, we could make a simple backing track, strum two chords and pick the third, changing different neck positions with the rounds. That way, we learn speed and accuracy one arpeggiated chord at a time. Once a chord (mini scale) has been mastered, repeat the process with another one. Wish I was better at explaining.
I see.
But Ed, make sure you pick the 4th chord too so you can do your Pre Chorus man.
You promised me you were going in.
I read somewhere that John McLaughlin used a combination of 3 pentatonic scales rooted on 1, 4, and 5 to play guitar in a given key. So if the key was E minor (E F# G A B C D) he'd noodle around in a mixture of the following:
E pentatonic minor – E G A B D
A pentatonic minor – A C D E G
B pentatonic minor – B D E F# A
After a certain point, at which I had memorized the fretboard, I only asked myself one question:
Ok, so exactly what can I get away with here and not get arrested by the music police??
When Jazz guys start talking theory it often makes me laugh.
I always thought you were just supposed to find cool notes and play them over top of cool chords.
EAD are the relative minors of G-C-F, the C Maj 1-4-5's, VI's of C, F, and G.
Let me see if I get this straight:
If I hear an E minor jam going down at Tubby's Bar and Grill and I want to noodle, I get to pick from E F# G A B C and D.
But only if the local noodling mandate has allowed an FDA-approved version of the Major Minor Sharp Everything Flat Everything Pentatonic Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, Mixolydian, Aeolian, Faucian and Locrian relative minor enharmonic scales????
Why can't I just play a single G note the entire time???
OK, now, can BIAB do this?
Can I put a soloing guitar into Mahavishnu Mode so that it rapidly cycles through these modes –
* E pentatonic minor – E G A B D
* A pentatonic minor – A C D E G
* B pentatonic minor – B D E F# A
– against the master key of E natural minor?
NO!
But Mark, you MUST do this if you are going to register with ASCAP.
First, type in all those letters as chords.
Generate in Melody Maker.
Then go into notation editor and remove all of the notes that do not fit into the E major minor Sharp 5 pentatonic.
Then open a Utility track and paste in a random track from your least favorite song.
Regenerate and take the new midi from that and open it in a chord progression in another key. Use key switches to set the pitch 2 cents higher.
Manually adjust the first notes of every phrase to be the last note of the third phrase second above the last phrase.
That's it.
Please let me know if you have questions.
SSSSSH!! I'm HUNTING WABBITS!!
"Faucian Mode", snort. That was pretty good, I admit.
I'm coming up with a demo of sorts, with this done manually in Logic.
I see. But Ed, make sure you pick the 4th chord too so you can do your Pre Chorus man.
You promised me you were going in.
At the time, I knew I should have kept quiet.
David, if the progression is G-C-D, what is that 4th chord I am finding so elusive? Is it the relative minor Emin ? I do want to know before the launch.
Ed,
I opened up chord builder and I am going to go with Bm, man.
... put a soloing guitar into Mahavishnu Mode so that it rapidly cycles through these modes –
* E pentatonic minor – E G A B D
* A pentatonic minor – A C D E G
* B pentatonic minor – B D E F# A
– against the master key of E natural minor?
OK, I *think* this does that. Couldn't swear to it. Johnny did it better.
https://soundcloud.com/mark_hayes/mahavishnu-mode
Ok. I just remembered why I never listened to Mahavishnu.
Ok. I just remembered why I never listened to Mahavishnu.
It's better with the big gong at the beginning. You have to be in a very spiritual mood for this stuff.