CREATIVE ROCK
Shaun Baxter takes another look at a useful, yet not commonly-used Pentatonic scale. It’s also one with which you may not be all that familiar.
Shaun Baxter continues this series with more great licks using Dominant Pentatonic scale.
So far in this series, we’ve learned that the Dominant Pentatonic scale suits static Dominant chords better than the more traditional Major or Minor Pentatonic options as it contains all the notes of the chord (the chord tones). This is not to say that you will not hear A Major or Minor Pentatonic scale used over an A7 chord; however, you should be aware of their effect and limitations here.
The Major Pentatonic scale has a 6th rather than a It’s a scale that works well in western swing, but that’s because the 6th degree is often included within the chord (in other words, it’s a form of music that tends to use A6 rather than A7).
On the other hand, the Minor Pentatonic scale produces a bluesy effect due to the tension that results from the C and D notes of the scale rubbing either side of the C# note in the chord. This can sound great in the right context, but, technically, isn’t as ‘correct’ as the Dominant Pentatonic scale which, effectively, comprises all the notes of a ninth chord:
By taking the traditional two-notes-per-string shapes of A Major Pentatonic scale, and raising each 6th (F#) a semitone higher (keeping it on the same string), so that it becomes a minor 7th (G), we get the five shapes shown in Diagram 1. Note that each one is based around a basic A7 chord shape and fits perfectly within the CAGED system
So far, we’ve looked at vertical lines (ones that are played within the confines on a single scale shape or neck position) with the Dominant Pentatonic scale; however, in this lesson, we are going to look at lines that feature lateral motion (movement along the length of the neck).
Each of the musical examples in this lesson stem from various CAGED shapes of the A Dominant Pentatonic scale, and are mediumpaced. As mentioned in previous lessons, most rock players have far fewer mid-paced ideas than they do very fast or slow ones; so, this will be a good opportunity to start building your mid-paced Dominant line vocabulary. For every principle studied, try to come up with your own variations, and make sure that you can also play equivalent sequences stemming from all five CAGED shapes of the Dominant Pentatonic scale.
Finally, if you are interested in jazz and fusion, remember that the Dominant Pentatonic scale can also be used over the following chord types:
m7b5 • From the of a chord • From the 4th of a m7 chord • From the and of a 7alt chord • From the 2nd of a 9#11 and a maj7#11 chord.
So, I hope you can see this scale as a really useful addition to your musical vocabulary.