Guitar soloing questions

[Rickenbacker]

So I've been trying to get a little more serious about my playing (despite not being in a band or anything) & I'm starting to get the hang of the pentatonic scales. I"ve been playing along with backing tracks on Youtube & I'm def' better than I was a year ago.

One question I have though- the circle of Fifths is a huge help for me, but I just wanna be sure I get it- Let's say a song is in the key of A minor- can I solo using either a C major or the Am pentatonic?
Also, Generally speaking, are major scales used often in folk & country?

Thanks!

[Guitarplyrjvb]

Yes to the first question! I have no idea about the second one.

Am is the relative minor to C. All the same notes, just starting on different degrees.

[Zeuhlmate]

As long as it sounds good, you can do whatever!

[Sean]

"I just wanna be sure I get it- Let's say a song is in the key of A minor- can I solo using either a C major or the Am pentatonic?"

Yes, same thing, they are relative to each other and use the exact same five notes.

"Also, Generally speaking, are major scales used often in folk & country?"

Absolutely

[Rickenbacker]

Thanks, people. I may revisit this thread w. more Qs.

[progmatist]

In blues, where every chords is the dominant 7th or 9th, the A minor pentatonic scale would be juxtaposed with the key of A Major.

In more melodic music, I personally will play the A Major pentatonic scale in the key of A Major, but only on the tonic chord. On the IV chord (D), I'll switch to the D Major pentatonic scale, and on the V chord (E), the E Major scale.

[Rickenbacker]

Alright more Qs:

What's a typcial scenario where you'd choose to play say, a C major scale vs a C major pentatonic scale?

[nosebone]

Alright more Qs:

What's a typcial scenario where you'd choose to play say, a C major scale vs a C major pentatonic scale?

Adding the fourth note, F,to a C major pentatonic is easy to use and highly recommended.

Its now a hexatonic scale that contains six notes .

I call it the Allman Brothers scale!

Just listen to the Allman Brothers "Blue Sky" guitar solos and you'll know what I mean.


Adding the seventh note B can be tricky for a beginning improviser if your playing simple cowboy chord progressions.

It sounds good when the G or G7 rolls around because the note B is the third of a G chord.

[nosebone]

When playing over the seventh chords in C major - Cmaj7, Dmin7, Emin7, Fmaj7, G7, Amin7, Bmin7b5 is when you would use the full seven note C major scale.

[Rickenbacker]

Yeah. I need to study up on basic theory before I can fully grasp all that! lol!

In the meantime, what's an example of a guitar-based song with playing a major scale & one using a major pentatonic scale? Maybe if I heard the difference it'd give me a good starting reference.

[nosebone]

Rick - C major pentatonic contains five notes - C D E G A

C major scale contains seven notes; the five found in C major pentatonic PLUS two more - C D E (F) G A (B)

[kid_runningfox]

Remember too, that when playing in C major you don't just have to play the A minor pentatonic - you can also use the D minor, E minor, G major and F major pentatonics, too - though it can be a trial to get some of these to work! There's also the possibility of using a minor pentatonic with a flattened 5th starting on B, though again, this might be one to approach with caution. They're all derived from notes in the C major scale, however, so mess about with them and see what you come up with. But as someone else said above, you can do whatever you like if it sounds good! ;)

[kid_runningfox]

Incidentally, I don't know if you get Guitar Techniques magazine in the US or not, but they've just published a brilliant and very informative article on altered pentatonic scales, with played examples, that I'm presently working my way through. Have to admit, it's expanding my guitar vocabulary in a way that I haven't had the opportunity to do for years. Strongly recommended if this kind of thing is new to you, and probably worth having a look at as a refresher for the more experienced.

[Enid]

Major scales are used in both Folk and Country. So are Minor. It depends on the type of Country Music you play. Modern Country is stylistically based off Classic Rock and Southern Rock. In a silly song like " My Kinda Party" you can take a solo at the end producing a Ritchie Blackmore style of phrasing in D Minor or you can play like Alan Holdsworth. The reason being that it is no longer Country and based off Rock. In some of the older Country like "Crazy" by Patsy Cline, you can take a guitar ride that has the style of early George Benson or Wes Montgomery. Because the song contains the Jazz style of an "old standard". So basically some of your riffing in "Stardust" and "Laura" can be applied in " Crazy".

In Folk it's basically the combination of the two. Laura Nyro's Folk oriented songs cross into Jazz changing quickly between major and minor with inverted major 7ths and a peculiar bass line. Commercial Pop oriented Folk and Traditional Irish Folk apply both consistently as there is not much of a contrast between Steeleye Span and Jethro Tull. Irish Jigs as well.

[nosebone]

I'm glad we cleared that all up! Lol

[Enid]

If you want some interesting guitar instruction specialized in the area of expanding your improvisation, check out the Steve Morse instruction vids on Y.T. One particular vid on extended scales has really sent me in a different direction. I've played many of the patterns before, but not based on Steve Morse concept. His vids are very helpful. Brilliant.