minor and pentatonic

The easiest way is to learn the shapes, you can buy books or find website that can show you all the positions of the pentatonics, but as far as the theory of the pentatonics goes: The pentatonic is like a shortened form of a major (for major pentatonic) and minor scale (for minor pentatonic). The "formula" for each is:

Minor pentatonic: Whole and a half (3 frets), Whole, Whole, Whole and a half, Whole step

Major pentatonic: Whole, Whole, Whole and a half, Whole, Whole and a half step

Like I said before the pentatonics are like shortened versions of diatonic (major or minor) scales, A minor is: A, B, C, D, E, F, G, whereas A minor pentatonic is A, C, D, E, G. C major is: C, D, E, F, G, A, B, whereas C major is C, D, E, G, A. As for uses of the scale: You can use minor pentatonics in minor keys or in blues songs, whereas major you can use over major keys and major blues keys. Alot of times blues keys will have both major and minor notes in them, but I wouldn't worry too much about that right now.

I find it helpful to learn scales in context of the major:

So if major is I II III IV V VI VII VIII(or I)
the Major pentatonic is I II III V VI VIII(or I) so minus the 4th and the 7th.
The minor pentatonic I bIII IV V bVII VIII(or I) so minus the 2nd and the 6th AND flatted 3rd and 7th.
..... and so on

It might be confusing now but it will you later.

Thanx thats what i wanted if someone could just explain how to work out an ordinary minor that would be brilliant.

Follow this link and you'll see how all the common scales are constructed.

thanx thats a great link. One thing what do the b's mean some scale have the roman numerals witha b next to it e.g. Minor - Natural R,ii, iiib, ect ?

Also on the blues sclae at the bottom it as tow b's in cicles does that mean bend ?

Thanx

The b is the nearest I can get to a flat symbol.

In the blues scale the B in a blue circle is the "Blue Note". Although everyone of the old bluesmen seems to have his own idea of the blue note, it's generally accepted as being a Vb (or an IVaug)

Please reserve the use of Roman numerals (I, ii, iii, IV, V, vi, viidim) to chords and use Arabic numerals (1,2,3,4,5,6,7) for notes and intervals.

The major (Ionian mode) scale is (note the underscores for missing notes):

1_2_34_5_6_78 (C_D_EF_G_A_BC)

The natural minor (Aeolian mode) scale is:

1_23_4_56_7_8 (A_BC_D_EF_G_A)

The harmonic minor scale is:

1_23_4_5_6__78 (A_BC_D_EF__G#A)

The melodic minor scale is:

1_23_4_5_6__78 (A_BC_D_E_F#_G#A)

Follow this link and you'll see how all the common scales are constructed.

Man this kind of info can give someone wood. :oops: :D

Ok ready further, this is ALL good. 8)

Now for the edit zone... :roll:

What is the significance of the Blue Note?

I understand relating it to blues but I'm not getting the reason behind it. :?

According to the Harvard Dictionary of Music, it's the flatted (often flatted deliberatly out of key) third or seventh. But that's really a rather dry description of something a bit more elusive...

When I was a young guitarist, I'd go down to the Checkerboard Lounge on Monday nights to jam with the old bluesmen.

I saw a guy alternating between I and I7 in his progression, and I asked him why he did it. He told me he was adding the blue note. I saw a guy using a b5 note in his lead, and I asked him about it. "That's the blue note" he said. I saw a guy add a #5 to a chord, and I asked him why he did it. "I wanted the blue note". Then I saw yet another guy add a sixth to a major chord in a rhythm, and I asked him about it. He said "that's my blue note".

So I said "wait a minute - which one's the blue note?" They all laughed at me, and told me I hadn't paid my dues yet. They were right :)

Blue notes are the notes that make it sound like the blues. They're usually outside the key, but not always - that major sixth chord I remember falls perfectly in key, but the way he was using it - it sounded like the blues.

thanx for answering my question greybeard. And thnax to noteboat for giving me something else to learn ! :D