Forum - Banjo Ben Clark

Pentatonic melodies

#1

Hey All! I’m working my skills in playing up the neck on guitar. I have been wanting to practice songs with major pentatonic melodies that I can practice up and down the neck instead of just running scales. I thought I would crowdsource suggestions on simple pentatonic melodies/songs that might fit the bill.

For example, the first half of Tennessee Waltz is all pentatonic. I’m hoping to find melodies that a purely within a single pentatonic scale (1,2,3,5,6).

I put this in the music theory channel as this list could be useful across instruments.

Thanks in advance!
Dave

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#2

Dave,

I don’t know of any specific songs where the entire melody falls within the pentatonic scale.

If I may throw a suggestion out there though, I would consider practicing your pentatonics while listening to a 12 bar blues, and improvising along with it.

Also, I’m not sure if you’re aware, but the three is flatted. (noticed you have 1,2,3,5,6). I can also provide a diagram with the five positions of the pentatonic scale, in the key of E, if you like.

I know I didn’t answer your specific question, but I thought I’d put some stuff out that may be helpful in working on the pentatonic scale.

Hope that helps you.

Jack

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#3

Jack, the 3 is not flatted in a major pentatonic.

to the best of my knowledge, regardless of the number of notes in the scale, if you flat the 3rd it is minor.

@davidsoleil , you might look at some tunes. like Sally Good’n, or Katy Hill, You would have to remove minimal notes to play these pentatonically.

The problem you will run into in bluegrass is that most songs aren’t strictly major notes…bluegrass has a large blues influence which incorporates liberal use of the flatted 3rd and flatted 7th quite often…playing using only major notes creates an “overly happy” mood .and diminishes much of the “feeling” of the style.

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#4

I think amazing grace is pentatonic

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#5

Not really into pentatonic’s but I do recall someone saying Amazing Grace was built on the pentatonic scale but that was many years ago long before I began to learn the banjo.

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#6

Mother Goose - Maurice Ravel

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#7

Agreed…I was thinking of the minor pentatonic when I wrote that. I learned to play lead guitar with the minor pentatonic, and I always think that way…Good catch.

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#8

haha…you old rocker you…:wink:

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#9

Me too. I see people frequently giving minor pentatonic answers to major pentatonic questions :joy:

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#10

Thanks all! I appreciate the ideas. I think Amazing Grace is just the thing I need. To explain a little more, I have a lot of background in blues and need to hammer my brain into more major pentatonic and less minor. I appreciate the help! Thanks!

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#11

Adding another song to the list. “Will The Circle Be Unbroken.” All major pentatonic.

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#12

Woodchopper’s Reel
High Level Hornpipe
Billy in the Lowground is close (a couple leading 7ths)
Boil them cabbage down

It depends on how strictly you want to define pentatonic.

Do you want the entire piece to fit the scale of the 1 chord?

Boi. them Cabbage Down only fits if you use the scale of each chord (many others fit also with this approach)

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#13

Jerusalem Ridge

#14

Oops, this ain’t major or pentatonic… my sense of humor is strange and obscure lol.

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#15

Ha! I appreciate the effort either way. :slight_smile:

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#16

Not strictly Bluegrass but there is a version on You Tube with Earl Scruggs and sons with the Byrds playing “You ain’t going nowhere” . You could certainly make some intros, breaks , melody type solos up and down the neck for that.

In fact just looked already done on You Tube Sure its all G Major but please take a look first.

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#17

May help to post a link pointing to the video

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#18

I think nine pound hammer is pentatonic, or at least close

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#19

Removed because I could

#20

Hi @davidgear Ok that tune with the Byrds is still in copyright.

If my memory serves me correctly, Pat Cloud covered Pentatonic Scales in his book Key to the Five String Banjo. I personally I didn’t find his book all that helpful but others rave about it.

Geoff Hohwald did some lessons on Penatonics which I found much more interesting and John Boulding did some great lessons on Pentatonics. too which you can look up on YoutTube

Perhaps if you work through these you may begin to find the pentatonic patterns you seek.

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