Yeah a guy told me about 5 years ago that if I would learn theory I would be a much better player. While I still cant always get my stubby fingers to do what I want them to, at least I know what I want them to do.
Discuss the Mandolin lesson: Introduction to Pentatonic Scales
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Thank you so much or bring this to my attention. I have been struggling with these scales, and didn’t find your lesson until now. I have been working on them for a week now, and am having fun using the C and G scales for noodling over a few of my tunes and having fun.
Jan Dufseth
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Awesome, I don’t play the mandolin but I have been looking to increase my musical IQ. Now, when can we get some pentatonic work for the banjo? The ability to noodle, improvise, and single string on banjo via the pentatonic has always been something I’ve been interested in learning.
Cheers!
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The famous ‘blues-scale’ is another neat scale. Blues scale = Root-Flat 3rd, 4th, Flat 5th, 5th, Flat 7th (or in the key of C would be C,Eb,F,F#,G,Bb,C). I got tons of mileage out of this scale in college jazz band on my trumpet as it can be used over all chords in a standard 12-bar blues progression and make you instantly sound like a Pro. A key component of the blues-scale, is the so-called “blue notes” which is the flat-3rd, flat-5th, flat-7th. These “blue-notes” somewhat defy description, as they are lower than what the ear is expecting as the musician plays on them, perhaps resolving up a ½ step. I’m not sure how well the blues-scale translates to bluegrass. Certainly for 12-bar blues, but……….will have to experiment!
Key-Point to remember: It’s never a wrong note, you’re just resolving up (or down) to the right note! 
That’s good stuff Neil. Just like where Alan Munde said on Fretboard Geography. “It’s not what you do getting there, it’s where you stop”. (Or words to that effect).
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So, if you land on a wrong note, just move up half a step, really fast, and you’ve resolved it…Eureka!
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@BanjoBen please do some videos like this for Banjo - Major/Minor, Pentatonic, Bluegrass, and Blues scales for closed positions with single string style.
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This lesson is hurting my brain. In a good way. I’ve watched the first 3-4 videos of this lesson several times and keep doing the exercises over and over again, trying to cram the info into my brain. So much to learn! Thank you. Just learning mandolin after playing guitar for 25 years. I’m hooked. And my fingers hurt!
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[video link below]
hey everyone!
I am posting a video question and found this thread in a quick forum search that answers some of my question, but i was hoping someone can elaborate just a little more on their personal process for how they personally go about creating their own solo out of a scale. I practice different scale patterns and am slowly working on becoming more comfortable with topics in this video, but what now? How do i go about constructing a solo or improvisation? what are key things you think about when improvising? (also understand that the advice im seeking is for someone that is only just now getting comfortable with these concepts and how they apply. @BanjoBen , and anyone else interested with a few minutes to spare, please check out my video. Any and all help/tips/insights are greatly appreciated.
[scale vid question](https://youtu.be/kd7kII0YTWc)
Excited to answer your question from my perspective, @Just_James! Thanks for your patience as I just got in from out of town. Great, great questions.
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Recording mandolin lessons today, and thanks for your patience for my reply.
question: have you watched the “jamming in G” and “jamming in A” lessons?
https://banjobenclark.com/lessons/jamming-in-g-mandolin-beginner/video/lesson-preview
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I haven’t but i just watched them. these are perfect for helping me with that next stage of developing I think!! I have watched a lot of the chords, rhythm, and scale studies and these seems like the next natural progression from there. I even had them bookmarked, haha. I wonder if in the future we might get a checklist that incorporates all the lessons regarding solos and jamming, like an independent syllabus where all lessons in that folder point to that and build off the last lesson. Because it’s all there it’s just knowing what step to take next naturally if ur coming into this with no prior knowledge. But thanks for pointing me in the right direction, this video, and that video series is perfect for what I was asking. Or at least giving me the understanding of how to start creating a solo melody. Can’t thank u enough. 
means a lot because I finally found a good local jam and I really feel like I’m almost ready to go in there and not feel intimidated. Check it out. https://rockybranchmountainmusic.com/Home
https://rockybranchmountainmusic.com/Home
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Yessir! And that grouping of lessons within courses will be available on the new site.
If you haven’t watched my melodic improv lesson, please do: https://banjobenclark.com/lessons/wreck-of-old-97-melodic-improvisation-mandolin-beginner
Also, I just recorded a Jamming in C & D lesson for mandolin that will be out in the next month or so.
I still hope to reply to you in video, and please update your question if it’s changed or amended since you asked.
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