i was wondering why some things work when in theory they shouldn't:
1) why does a minor pentatonic scale work over a major chord of the same key?
2) why can you play both major and minor pentatonics over a I IV V?
1. Because the minor pentatonic is a subset of the blues scale, and blues progressions have major chord types.
Minor pentatonic = 1-b3-4-5-b7
Blues scale = 1-b3-4-b5-5-b7
2. Because one gives you a blues feel - the minor pentatonic creates the blues sound with the clashes between the b3 and 3... the other gives you a major scale without two notes: the 'leading tone' (7) which creates melodic tension that wants to resolve to 1, and the 4th. The fourth is also a tricky tone... played over the I chord, it wants to move down to 3; played over the V chord, it's the b7, which is part of the tritone interval with the chord's third. Since it's only really stable over the IV, most of the time the 4 will have some melodic tension. Removing the source of tension makes melody choices 'safe'.
Major pentatonic = 1-2-3-5-6
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thanks noteboat....very well put
i understood the major scale without two notes thing b4....but i never thought of it as "without the leading tone"
new perspectives helps a lot as i play mostly by feel. i usualy know what works but rarly do i know why it works
thanks again for taking the time to answer
