CREATIVE ROCK
Shaun Baxter continues to prove that Mixolydian is a cornucopia of useful Pentatonic scales. Here, our examples start from the 3rd.
Shaun Baxter continues his mini series creating mid-paced solos with Mixolydian Pentatonics.
In this lesson, we are looking at mediumpaced Mixolydian studies that provide you with some new vocabulary and should be achievable to play. So far we have looked at Pentatonic scales that stem from the various notes of Mixolydian. Having already looked at scales whose root notes stem from the root 2nd, this lesson shifts our attention to the 3rd.
The purpose of extracting these various triads, arpeggios and Pentatonics is to provide us with fresh musical perspectives. Each new perspective not only sounds different; it will make us play in a different way too.
Like a skilful chef, by selecting certain notes and leaving out others, we are able to present a range of different sonic flavours from the same limited range of ingredients, in an attempt to prevent the listener’s musical palette from becoming jaded. To torture this analogy even further, if you always use every note in the scale, it is the equivalent of throwing everything in the pot each time, resulting in the musical equivalent of a boring and predictable stew.
When extracting Pentatonic scales (which always have five notes) from a seven-note scale (such as Mixolydian), one could simply choose to systematically omit two notes from that parental scale. If we leave out the root and 4th note of Mixoydian, we get a m7b5-
style Pentatonic scale (one that is like the minor Pentatonic but with a b5 instead of a 5) when viewed from the perspective of Mixolydian’s 3rd note: A Mixolydian:
(A) B C# (D) E F# G
(1) 2 3 (4) 5 6 b7
m7b5
C# Pentatonic scale:
C# E F# G B
1 b3 4 b5 b7 Conversely, one could say that
m7b5 playing a Pentatonic scale from the 3rd of Mixolydian mode results in the root and 4th of the parental scale being omitted. Although commonly referred
m7b5 to as a Pentatonic scale, a more accurate term would be m7b5(
11) Pentatonic in order to reflect the added 11 (4th note), and this is how this scale will be referenced in our transcription. m7b5We can also create an alternative type Pentatonic from the 3rd note of Mixolydian by leaving out the root note and m7b5b2 6th. This has the effect of producing a Pentatonic from the 3rd note (again, C#). (A) B C# D E (F#) G A Mixolydian – (1) 2 34 5 (6) b7 m7b5b2 C# C# D E G B Pentatonic scale – 1 b2 b3 b5 b7 The chord progression for the backing track behind this lesson is A7-C7-D7-F7-G7, and a different Mixolydian scale is to be played from the root of each new chord. Diagram 1 shows the notes of each Mixolydian m7b5( scale and also the notes of the 11) and m7b5b2
Pentatonic scales that stem from the 3rd note of each scale.
As usual, your initial aim is to map out both Pentatonic scales within each of the five CAGED scale shapes of its parental Mixolydian scale.
Doing this is an incredibly beneficial pursuit that you should do on your own, rather than relying on me to write them out for you. If you don’t know the five CAGED shapes for Mixolydian, look at some recent issues of GT or find them on the Internet. Once you have done that, you should explore and experiment with all types of alternative fingering configurations for each scale. This method will move your playing on far more than simply learning a few new licks.
NEXT MONTH Shaun brings us another Mixolydian solo to learn in Creative Rock
LIKE A SKILFUL CHEF, BY SELECTING CERTAIN NOTES AND LEAVING OUT OTHERS, WE ARE ABLE TO PRESENT A RANGE OF SONIC FLAVOURS