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The 1st Pentatonic
Modal Study

Lesson by
 Michael Chodosh

 

  

Here's how it started.    

After noticing how this E minor chord fits this E minor pentatonic scale while playing the song " Little Wing" 

+---+---+---+---+---+
|   |   |   |   |   |
1   |   |   1   1   1 12th fret
|   |   |   |   |   |
+---+---+---+---+---+
|   |   |   |   |   |
|   |   |   |   |   |
|   |   |   |   |   |
+---+---+---+---+---+
|   |   |   |   |   |
|   3   4   |   |   |
|   |   |   |   |   |
+---+---+---+---+---+
|   |   |   |   |   |
|   |   |   |   |   |
|   |   |   |   |   |
+---+---+---+---+---+
|                   |
6th string          1st string
 

 
+---+---+---+---+---+
|   |   |   |   |   |
1   1   1   1   1   1 12th fret
|   |   |   |   |   |
+---+---+---+---+---+
|   |   |   |   |   |
|   |   |   |   |   |
|   |   |   |   |   |
+---+---+---+---+---+
|   |   |   |   |   |
|   3   3   3   |   |
|   |   |   |   |   |
+---+---+---+---+---+
|   |   |   |   |   |
4   |   |   |   4   4
|   |   |   |   |   |
+---+---+---+---+---+
|                   |
6th string          1st string
 

 
    

 I looked for more of the same type of relationship with other chords using the "rules" which I laid out for you at this address: Pentatonic Modal Studies .  Now, my next step was to match up a major chord with a major pentatonic scale, which was easy.

this E major chord matches
this E major pentatonic scale.
 +---+---+---+---+---+ 
 |   |   |   |   |   |
 |   |   |   |   |   |
 |   |   |   |   |   |
 +---+---+---+---+---+
 |   |   |   |   |   |
 1   |   |   |   1   1 12th fret
 |   |   |   |   |   |
 +---+---+---+---+---+
 |   |   |   |   |   |
 |   |   |   2   |   |
 |   |   |   |   |   |
 +---+---+---+---+---+
 |   |   |   |   |   |
 |   3   4   |   |   |
 |   |   |   |   |   |
 +---+---+---+---+---+
 |                   |
6th string          1st string
 
   +---+---+---+---+---+
   |   |   |   |   |   |
   |   1   1   1   |   | 
   |   |   |   |   |   |
   +---+---+---+---+---+
   |   |   |   |   |   |
   2   |   |   |   2   2 12th fret
   |   |   |   |   |   |
   +---+---+---+---+---+
   |   |   |   |   |   |
   |   |   |   3   |   |
   |   |   |   |   |   |
   +---+---+---+---+---+
   |   |   |   |   |   |
   4   4   4   |   4   4
   |   |   |   |   |   |
   +---+---+---+---+---+
   |                   |
6th string          1st string
 

Those two chords and scales are really easy to find in the song "Little Wing" and throughout a great many blues songs that you'll come across.  The next one wasn't so easy.  I had to match up a half diminished chord to a half diminished scale so I used a standard minor 7 flat five chord (yes, four notes, not three) and I flatted the fifth degree in the minor pentatonic scale as you will see below.

this E half diminshed chord matches
this E minor flat five pentatonic scale.
      X             X
+---+---+---+---+---+
|   |   |   |   |   |
|   |   |   |   1   |
|   |   |   |   |   |
+---+---+---+---+---+
|   |   |   |   |   |
2   |   3   4   |   | 12th fret
|   |   |   |   |   |
+---+---+---+---+---+
|   |   |   |   |   |
|   |   |   |   |   |
|   |   |   |   |   |
+---+---+---+---+---+
|   |   |   |   |   |
|   |   |   |   |   |
|   |   |   |   |   |
+---+---+---+---+---+
|   |   |   |   |   |
|   |   |   |   |   |
|   |   |   |   |   |
+---+---+---+---+---+
    X               X
6th string          1st string
 
  
+---+---+---+---+---+
|   |   |   |   |   |
|   |   |   |   1   |
|   |   |   |   |   |
+---+---+---+---+---+
|   |   |   |   |   |
1   1   1   1   |   1 12th fret
|   |   |   |   |   |
+---+---+---+---+---+
|   |   |   |   |   |
|   2   |   |   |   |
|   |   |   |   |   |
+---+---+---+---+---+
|   |   |   |   |   |
|   |   3   3   |   |
|   |   |   |   |   |
+---+---+---+---+---+
|   |   |   |   |   |
4   |   |   |   4   4
|   |   |   |   |   |
+---+---+---+---+---+
6th string          1st string
 

 Now you have enough scales for the pentatonic modal study in one key.  No, they're not modes.  They are the pentatonic scales that are within each mode.  They sound great because they outline the chord you are thinking about with a wonderful type of simplicity.  

Try this. We will use the key of E minor (E natural minor) which is relative to G major, to start.  I picked this key as it is the same key that "Little Wing" is in.

In E natural minor (the Aeolian mode) the chords are E minor, F# half diminished, G, A minor, B minor, C, and D.

First play the chord then the corresponding scale.

  Em                                
E:-0----------------------0-3-0----------------------
B:-0------------------0-3-------3-0------------------
G:-0--------------0-2---------------2-0--------------
D:-2----------0-2-----------------------2-0----------
A:-2------0-2-------------------------------2-0------
E:-0--0-3---------------------------------------3-0--

  F#m7b5                                
E:------------------------2-5-2----------------------
B:-1------------------1-5-------5-1------------------
G:-2--------------2-4---------------4-2--------------
D:-2----------2-4-----------------------4-2----------
A:--------2-3-------------------------------3-2------
E:-2--2-5---------------------------------------5-2--

  G                                
E:-3----------------------3-5-3----------------------
B:-3------------------3-5-------5-3------------------
G:-4--------------2-4---------------4-2--------------
D:-5----------2-5-----------------------5-2----------
A:-5------2-5-------------------------------5-2------
E:-3--3-5---------------------------------------5-3--

  Am                                
E:-5----------------------5-8-5----------------------
B:-5------------------5-8-------8-5------------------
G:-5--------------5-7---------------7-5--------------
D:-7----------5-7-----------------------7-5----------
A:-7------5-7-------------------------------7-5------
E:-5--5-8---------------------------------------8-5--

  Bm                               
E:-7----------------------7-10-7---------------------
B:-7------------------7-10------10-7-----------------
G:-7--------------7-9----------------9-7-------------
D:-9----------7-9------------------------9-7---------
A:-9------7-9--------------------------------9-7-----
E:-7-7-10----------------------------------------10-7

  C                                
E:8---------------------8-10-8-------------------------
B:8-----------------8-10------10-8---------------------
G:9--------------7-9--------------9-7------------------
D:10---------7-10--------------------10-7--------------
A:10-----7-10----------------------------10-7----------
E:8--8-10------------------------------------10-8------

  D                                
E:10--------------------------10-12-10-----------------
B:10---------------------10-12--------12-10------------
G:11-----------------9-11------------------11--9-------
D:12------------9-12----------------------------12--9--
A:12-------9-12----------------------------------------
E:10-10-12---------------------------------------------

    D (cont . . .)                               
  E:---------------------------------------------------
  B:---------------------------------------------------
  G:---------------------------------------------------
  D:---------------------------------------------------
  A:-12--9---------------------------------------------
  E:-------12-10---------------------------------------

  Em (XII pos)                                
E:-12--------------------------12-15-12----------------
B:-12---------------------12-15--------15-12-----------
G:-12----------------12-14------------------14-12------
D:-14-----------12-14-----------------------------14-12
A:-14------12-14---------------------------------------
E:-12-12-15--------------------------------------------

    Em (cont . . .)                                
  E:---------------------------------------------------
  B:---------------------------------------------------
  G:---------------------------------------------------
  D:-14-12---------------------------------------------
  A:------14-12----------------------------------------
  E:-----------15-12-----------------------------------

Don't stop now!  At the very least, play back down the neck to where you started. In other words go to the 10th position and play the D pentatonic scale/chord then the C at the 8th then the B minor at the 7th and so on.  

May I suggest?  Go further up the neck until you cant play any higher and then come back down.

Look at this.  These are the notes going further up the neck.  They repeat themselves after the 12th fret.  Look at the 12th fret as you would the open position notes.

12th         15th    17th     19th       21st- frets
  |           |       |       |           |   
|-E-|---|-F#|-G-|---|-A-|---|-B-|-C-|---|-D-| -1st string
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|-E-|---|-F#|-G-|---|-A-|---|-B-|-C-|---|-D-| -6th string

Then, come back down.  Stick to only the chords you've already played and you cant go wrong.

E minor, F# minor b5, G, A minor, B minor, C and D.

That is the first pentatonic scale/chord study.

Achieve that dream!
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