Forum - Banjo Ben Clark

Pentatonic melodies

#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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#21

Hi Archie,

I posted in response to the opening question at the top of the page. Very happy with my own knowledge of the Major Pentatonic. Playing it often.

#22

David, I thought your response was a question as well. Should have read it more closely. But, since I’ve already prepared my response, here it is to anyone who might want to try improvising along with Earl and The Byrds on acoustic guitar.

Here is position 1 for G Major Pentatonic.

image

I played around with a bit, (along with the song), and it appears to work fine. Just a couple quick tips.

  1. There are four more positions to the scale which you can easily find by googling. “G relative major scale diagram” (I’d stick with the first position til you get used to it.

  2. While playing along, and you land on the G chord, play one of the black notes (G), on the diagram. It will make your phrasing sound complete.

#23

Ok @davidgear I missed that, but others may find my response helpful. Not sure why you removed your video and query

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