@billmeedog 3650 wrote:
The 5-unique notes of a pentatonic minor happen to be the 5 mutually-inclusive notes of all three
minor modes that are derived from the major scale. Therefore, the difference between “A” Aeolian,
“A” Phrygian, and “A” Dorian (the 3-minor modes of the major scale) lie in the 2nd and 6th degrees
of those scales (“A” Aeolian’s 2nd=”B” and it’s b6th=”F”; “A” Phrygian’s b2nd=”Bb” and it’s b6th=”F”;
“A” Dorian’s 2nd=”B” and it’s 6th=”F#”.) So as you can see, each minor mode’s 2nd & 6th degree
combinations are what differentiates each mode from the other. The OTHER 5 scale degrees:
(Root-b3-4-5-b7 = A-C-D-E-G respectively) are mutually INCLUSIVE set of notes common to all three
minor modes whose Root = “A.”
Therefore, your question (if I read it properly!) cannot be answered in an “either/or” manner in which
you asked it, because there is NO DIFFERENCE between the Pentatonic Minor embedded in
“A” Aeolian and “A” Phrygian. Even though “A” Aeolian is 6th degree Relative to “C” Major and
“A” Phrygian is 3rd degree Relative to “F” Major, they SHARE the same 5 Pentatonic Minor Notes:
(A-C-D-E-G.) FYI: “A” Dorian (although you didn’t ask) is the 2nd degree Relative to “G” Major,
and it also contains those 5 Pentatonic Minor Notes = (A-C-D-E-G)
This “flexibility” that the Pentatonic affords us players makes progressions and riffs MUCH EASIER
to solo over (especially for beginners and intermediate level players) because a thorough understanding
and analysis of the accompaniment being played over, is NOT necessarily mandatory. As long as you
are correct about the Root of the progression and whether it is implying MAJOR or MINOR tonality. If
you are correct about the Root and the MAJOR vs. MINOR tonality, then YOU CAN’T LOSE when
applying the Pentatonic!
As cool and useful as these Pentatonic applications are, I strongly urge you (and everyone else!)
to study the modal system IN-DEPTH, because modes can be VERY useful when applied to ANY genre of music (ROCK and METAL included!!!)
I hope this helps you (and others with similar questions) as I consider this topic to be EXTREMELY
important for soloing (particularly for ROCK and METAL styles!)
Best of Luck!!!
~billmeedog~
hehe,
let me just ask to begin Billmee,
did you actually watch the posted vids?
or just answered the post?
Had you wached the vids you would
have seen that it was a parody clip,
and that Gollum’s thread was also
just for fun š
However, yours was a very good and well verbalised piece of
theory, and well worth the read. Should just have been taken up in
a serious thread however lol š
One note however, allthough what you say about the minor pentatonic
is true, it is only so when reffering to our western pentatonic used in
blues, rock and jazz (mainly), i.e 1,b3,4,5,b7.
However, ANY scale with 5 notes/octave IS per definition a pentatonic scale
(penta=five). For example the Japanese pentatonic; 1, 2, b3, 5, b6 = instant asia š
And even though I agree that one should learn the modal system, it is also VERY
common that people get as routed in and stuck in that as in the boxes.
I encourage all my students to learn to see ANY scale or key super-imposed
regardless of position. IN practicality this means, that whatever position of the
pentatonic (western) you are in, you will also see all other notes from all other modes
at the same time. What this does, is enable you to flavor your pentatonci playing by adding
and excluding notes to the pentatonics to create the sound and texture of say a mixlydian or phrygian,
but still using the sound and playing style associated with the pentatonics.
Most players switch to linear playing when switching to modal playing, and vetical “box”playing
when switching to the pentatonic. Once you get past this, you will be abel to utilize the sound
nto only from indivual notes, but also the unique way in which you tie them together according
to linear, boxed in, or strictly vertical playing.
It’s all about thinkign conceptually really, and not cementing yoru thinking into established
forms and patterns. As Zappa said “Without deviation from the norm, progress is not possible”
(More on scale superimposition and the usage of this concept in improvisation in one of my future tutorials.)
.
