Fender Players Club: Major Pentatonic Scale

FENDER PLAYERS CLUB MAJOR PENTATONIC SCALE
From the book:
Total Rock Guitar

A Complete Guide to Learning Rock Guitar by Troy Stetina #HL 695246. Book/CD $17.95 (US). Read more...
AUDIO CLIP AUDIO CLIP - Guitar Only
Major Pentatonic Scale

The major pentatonic scale is the major parallel of the minor pentatonic. Below, youll find the D major scale followed by the D major pentatonic. Since the full diatonic scale has seven tones, and all pentatonics have only five, two must be left outthe 4th and 7th.
D Major
D Major Pentatonic
12
12
scale tones:
5
fingering: 1
7
2
9
4
5
1
7
2
9
4
7 5 7
1
9
3
7
1
9
3
Below is the full two-octave D major pentatonic scale. The astute guitarist may notice the curious fact that this happens to look a lot like the B minor pentatonic box 1 pattern. In fact, both scales share the same notes, and as a result, we say they are related to one another. In regard to their sound, however, although both are similar in the sense of being pentatonics (angular and somewhat more aggressive-sounding than the diatonic versions), they are worlds apart. The major pentatonic is happy and bright, and finds itself used in country, rockabilly, and bright rock sounds. The minor is dark and bluesy and is found in rock, blues, hard rock, and metal. But enough background...the major pentatonic awaits! Play it!
D Major Pentatonic (Box 1)
D Major Pentatonic (w/ extension)
12
12
15
5
fingering: 1
7
3
9
3
7
1
9
3
10
10 5 7
3
9
3
7
1
9
3
11
10
12
10
12
Moving Riffs Through a Progression

Sometimes you will see a riff, which basically outlines one particular chord, move intact through a larger chord progression. This is exactly what we saw back in lesson 6, for example (in the chorus of Rockibillity), where a single-note rock n roll comping figure moved through a IIVV blues progression. Below, that same idea is applied using the major pentatonic scale with a IbVIIIV progression. The main thing to be aware of here is the relationship between the scale pattern and the barre chord that it outlines, sort of superimposed together. That is, even though you arent actually playing the chords per se, you still see them underneath.
5
fingering: 1
7
3
9
3
7
1
9
3
7 3
1 1
5
3
7
3
5
1
7
3
5 3
1 1
5
3
7
3
5
1
7
3
5
1
5 7
3 1
7
3
5
1
7
3
5
1
From the book:
Total Rock Guitar

A Complete Guide to Learning Rock Guitar by Troy Stetina #HL 695246. Book/CD $17.95 (US). Read more...
AUDIO CLIP AUDIO CLIP - Guitar Only TUNE UP
Song Prep: Southern Comfort

This time were heading down South with a clean tone, la the band with a first name of Leonard (but spelled with a few Ys). Note the familiar Mixolydian progression and prominent use of major pentatonics. The solo brings up an interesting issue: Unlike the main Rhy. Fig. 1 lick underneath, which utilizes different major pentatonics, the solo itself sticks with D major pentatonic throughout. This works because the G (IV chord) and its associated major pentatonic lick are both firmly within the overall key of D Mixolydian. Stay inside the key and you just cant go wrong. Notice also the picking approach. Basically, the format is alternating picking for sixteenth notes (all eighth notes are downstroked). Whenever a sixteenth subdivision is skipped, whether due to a hammer, pull, tie, etc., you skip its associated pick without impacting the overall rhythmic motionmuch like strumming. However, in the solos third and fifth measures, this picking format gives way to a physically-dictated method, ruled not by rhythm but rather by the location of the strings. This is a good example of picking as it happens in real musical situations. No picking approach is ever written in stone. Always feel free to bend the rules as you see fit, if it makes this easier for you.
SOUTHERN COMFORT
A Chorus
Gtr. 1 (clean)
Slow Rock N.C.(D)

Rhy. Fig. 1
= 88 (C) (G) (D) (C) (G) (D)
suggested picking:
sim.
5
suggested fingering:
1
5
1
7 9
9 7
3
1
3
1
3
1
3 5 7
5 7 5
5
1
5
sim.
7 9
9 7
3 5 7
5 7 5
3 3 1
3 1 3
1 1 3 1 3 1 3
(C)
(G)
(D)
(C)
(G)
(D)
End Rhy. Fig. 1
7 9
9 7
3 5 7
5 7 5
7 9
9 7
3
1
3
1
5 7
1 3
5
1
5 7
1 3
5
1
5 7
1 3
5
1
B Verse
N.C.(D)
Rhy. Fig. 2
(C)
(G)
(D)
(C)
(G)
End Rhy. Fig. 2
let ring
let ring
let ring
let ring
let ring
let ring
7 5
1
5
1 3 3
7 7
3
3
1
5 5 5
3
5 5 5 3
3 1
3
1 1 1
4 X X X X X X 5
2 1
7 7 7
3
7 5 5
7 7
5 5 5
5 3
4 5 5 3
3 3 4 5 5 3
A Chorus
Gtr. 1: w/ Rhy. Fig. 1
B Solo
Gtr. 1: w/ Rhy. Fig. 2, 2 times Gtr. 2
w/ slight dist. full full full full
9
3
(7)
(9)
(9)
full
full
full
full
full
7
9 9
7
9
7
9
7
9
10
10
10
7 10 12
10
12
10
full
full
12 12
full
10
12
10
12
10
12
10
12
10
10
10
10
10
10
12
(12)
10
10
full
full
full
10
12
10
11
10
12
10
11
10
11
(9)
A Chorus Outro
Gtr. 2 tacet Gtr. 1: w/ Rhy. Fig. 1
N.C.(D)
(C)
(G)
(D)
Repeat & Fade (C) (G) (D)

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FENDER PLAYERS CLUB MAJOR PENTATONIC SCALE

From the book:

Total Rock Guitar

AUDIO CLIP AUDIO CLIP - Guitar Only

Major Pentatonic Scale

D Major Pentatonic (Box 1)

D Major Pentatonic (w/ extension)

Moving Riffs Through a Progression

From the book:

Total Rock Guitar

AUDIO CLIP AUDIO CLIP - Guitar Only TUNE UP

Song Prep: Southern Comfort

Slow Rock N.C.(D)

= 88 (C) (G) (D) (C) (G) (D)

w/ slight dist. full full full full

Repeat & Fade (C) (G) (D)

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