I understand the pentatonic scales and can play them on the guitar however when it comes to improvising or moving between two patterns I sound very poor and its ultimately a find a note and play it sort of sound. Is there any material out there that will help me combine patterns and give me some basic tools that I can use in a variety of different genres?
Do you have Blues You Can Use book? It covers what to do with the pentatonic scale very throughly, as it applies to blues music (which is also very applicable to rock). Search this forum - there are several very good threads on the Blues You Can Use series of books.
Check it out - for under $15, it is a wealth of information and will keep you busy a long time:
I second that recommendation. I've said it before and I will say it again, BYCU is an amazing resource. I am currently working through it and it will probably take me upwards of another year to finish (mostly due to lack of time to practice) and I love it!
"A working class hero is something to be..." -J. Lennon
The best way to move from one Pentatonic Scale position to another is to use long slides. The sustain of the slide will keep the notes flowing without interuption. It also gives you time to set up your next phrase. Plus, slides sound great. :D
Lick covering 1st, 2nd, & 4th positions A Minor Pentatonic
1st pos. 2nd pos. 4th pos.
w ~~~~ w w~~~~
e-------5i-------------------------------------15^r--
b-----5i------/10r-----------13i--15^r--15--13-------
g—7^r-------------------/14m-------------------------
d----------------------------------------------------
a----------------------------------------------------
e----------------------------------------------------
i= index finger
m= middle finger
r= ring finger
w= whole step bend (raise tone one whole step)
~~~= vibrato (wiggle note)
The best way to practice the Pentatonic scales is listen to slow Blues or Rock solos. You don't want to try to tackle long, fast complicated solos at first. Start with something short and sweet. Worry more about techniques like bending, hammer-ons/pull-offs, trills, and slides than playing super fast. Learn to play with feeling.
Check out David Gilmore's fantastic solo starting at 2:05 in this video. It is slow, but awesomely beautiful. Learn solos like this that you can follow. Learn a few solos like this and you will be a very good lead guitarist.
If you know something better than Rock and Roll, I'd like to hear it - Jerry Lee Lewis
Exactly what Wes said: that's a great example:
Here's the Tab from Guitar Pro for that SOLO Part. H Q E S X. X X. Q Q E S S S E S
E||---------------------------10-|--14~----L----L--x-14br-L-L------|
B||------------------------10----|-----------------------------15b-|
G||---------------------11-------|---------------------------------|
D||------------------------------|---------------------------------|
A||------------------------------|---------------------------------|
E||------------------------------|---------------------------------|
RAKE HOLD THIS NOTE (L)
|---3---| |--3--| |---3---|
Q E E E S. T E E. S H E S T T T E E E
-----------------------------------|--------------------------10-14br--L--L--|
--L----L--15--14--14---------------|----------------(0)----10----------------|
---------------------14------------|--------------------11-------------------|
------------------------14--L---12-|--12~--------L---------------------------|
-----------------------------------|-----------------------------------------|
-----------------------------------|-----------------------------------------|
|----3---| |----3---| |----3----| |---3---|
Q E E E E E E E E E H E E E E S T T
------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------|
--15b----L--15p--14-----------------------------|---------------------------------------|
---------------------14-------------------------|--9g12~--------L--11-------------11S-9-|
-------------------------14S--12--11--11g9------|----------------------14--12~----------|
--------------------------------------------12--|---------------------------------------|
------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------|
|----3---| |----3---|
E S S Q E T T T T S S S S Q E S X. X X. E E E E E E
----------------------------------------|-----------------14-15p--14--12---------------|
----------------------------------------|---------------x-----------------15p--12------|
--9~--L-7-7~----L--9p-7---7-9-11b---11b-|--L----L----x-----------------------------12--|
------------------------9---------------|----------x-----------------------------------|
----------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------|
----------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------|
|----3---|
Q E E Q S T T E H Q S E. Q S E S Q E E E
-----------------------------------|-----------------------|-----------------------------------|
-----------------------------------|-----------------------|-----------------------------------|
-----------------------------------|------------------9b---|--L----L-9b--9pbr-7----7-----------|
--12~----10S--9--9~----L-10p-9S-7--|--L--------------------|--------------------------7g9S--7--|
-----------------------------------|-----------------------|-----------------------------------|
-----------------------------------|-----------------------|-----------------------------------|
W W
--------------------|-------------------||
--------------------|-------------------||
--------------------|-------------------||
--7~----------------|-------------------||
--------------------|-------------------||
--------------------|-------------------||
Duration Legend
---------------
W - whole
H - half
Q - quarter
E - 8th
S - 16th
T - 32nd
X - 64th
. - note dotted
|-n-| - n-tuplets
Tablature Legend
----------------
L - tied note
x - dead note
g - grace note
(n) - ghost note
> - accentuded note
NH - natural harmonic
AH - artificial harmonic
TH - tapped harmonic
SH - semi harmonic
PH - pitch harmonic
h - hammer on
p - pull off
b - bend
br - bendRelease
pb - preBend
pbr - preBendRelease
brb - bendReleaseBend
n/ - tremolo bar dip
n - tremolo bar dive
-/n - tremolo bar Release up
/n - tremolo bar inverted dip
/n - tremolo bar return
-n - tremolo bar Release down
S - shift slide
s - legato slide
/ - slide into from below or out of upwards
- slide into from above or out of downwards
~ - vibrato
W - wide vibrato
tr - trill
TP - tremolo picking
T - tapping
S - slap
P - pop
< - fade in
^ - brush up
v - brush down
Another thing to try is to work out melodies within the BOX shape.
They're in there. It takes a little doing but you can find them.
One example comes to mind is the main riff to Zepp's BLACK DOG.
Research is what I'm doing when I don't know what I'm doing. - Wernher Von Braun (1912-1977)
One way to use the Pentatonic Scales is to play riffs. A riff is just a short phrase or idea (but they can be long and complicated as well). Many players use riffs, but Jimmy Page is probably most famous for writing great riffs.
Here is the tab for Born Under a Bad Sign as played by Eric Clapton when he was with Cream. The main riff is straight from the G Minor Pentatonic scale 1st position at the 3rd fret. At the chorus EC goes to the G Major scale. You can mix scales up like this, adds a lot of color. Eric Clapton is a Master at this.
First, here is the song.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v1S7YniPt10
This tab is the rhythm guitar only. But listen to the great slow lead guitar. This is all in the G Minor Pentatonic scale. These are the types of solos to learn at first, something easy to follow, not too fast. But when you go to copy this you will understand what an amazing guitarist Eric Clapton is. It is super difficult to play with great feel like this.
Born Under a Bad Sign as played by Eric Clapton (Cream)
Intro riff played in G Minor Pent. 1st position
~~~ q ~~~
e---------------------------------------
b---------------------------------------
g--------------3------------------------
d--------3--5-----5-----------3---------
a--3--5-----------------3--5------------
e--------------------------------6^--3--
Riff during verses G Minor Pent. 1st position
~~~
e-------------------------
b-------------------------
g-------------------------
d--------3----3--5-------- play 4X
a--3--5-------------------
e-------------------------
Chorus riff G Major Scale with passing notes 1st pos.
D7 chord C7 chord
e-------------------------------------------------
b-------------------------------------------------
g---------------5r-5-5-5--------------3r----------
d---------------4i-4-4-4--------------2i----------
a--2--3--4--5---5m-5-5-5----5--4--3---3m----------
e-------------------------------------------------
~~~ q ~~~
e---------------------------------------
b---------------------------------------
g--------------3------------------------
d--------3--5-----5-----------3---------
a--3--5-----------------3--5------------
e--------------------------------6^--3--
~~~ = vibrato (shake or wiggle note)
q = quarter bend (bend string very slightly)
If you know something better than Rock and Roll, I'd like to hear it - Jerry Lee Lewis
