Klarinet Archive - Posting 000218.txt from 1997/07

From: nashton@-----. Smith)
Subj: Re: Pentatonic Scale
Date: Mon, 7 Jul 1997 17:30:31 -0400

Ryan-

I recommend you learn your Dorians, especially if you are a jazz player.
Dorian is as follows: C D Eb F G A Bb C. In other words, start on the
second note of a major scale and progress an octave, in the key of that
major scale. These are pretty easy to learn and very useful in jazz.
Nashton S.

On Mon, 07 Jul 1997 12:36:56 -0700 Ryan Lowe <ryan@-----.edu>
writes:
>But these two forms that I asked about are the most useful to learn?
>I am
>trying to learn *all* of my scales. So far, I can play; major,
>natural
>minor, harmonic minor, melodic minor, blues
>(1,flat-3,4,flat-5,5,flat-7,8),
>"pentatonic major" (the form that I asked about) and "pentatonic
>minor". I
>am well aware that there are oodles (sp?) of other scales, but in my
>limited amount of time that I have each day, what would be the most
>useful
>to practice? What do each of you practice (scale-wise) religiously
>every day?
>
>Thanx,
>Ryan Lowe
>
>
>At 12:41 PM 7/7/97 -0500, you wrote:
>>On Mon, 7 Jul 1997, Ryan Lowe wrote:
>>
>>> Could somebody please tell me the form of pentatonic major and
>pentatonic
>>> minor scales? I had them written down....somewhere. When I looked
>in my
>>> little musical dictionary, the definition did not help at all. TIA
>>
>>As someone else has already replied to you, the pentatonic scale, or
>major
>>pentatonic as many jazz players and teachers have begun to call it,
>has
>>the notes (in the key of C), C, D, E, G, A. The interval structure
>is:
>>M2, M2, m3, M2, m3. You can get the same structure in the key of F#
>major
>>by playing all the black keys on the piano keyboard.
>>
>>The term "minor pentatonic" is actually something of a misnomer.
>Again,
>>as stated in a previous message, what people usually mean when they
>use
>>this term is (in the key of C minor), C, Eb, F, G, Bb. Here, the
>interval
>>structure is m3, M2, M2, m3, M2. This actually is just a permutation
>or
>>rotation of the Eb pentatonic scale. Notice that it contains Eb, F,
>G,
>>Bb, C, which is the scale which has the major pentatonic structure
>built
>>on the note Eb. So, we can say that the minor pentatonic scale is
>just
>>the same as the major pentatonic scale based a minor third higher
>than the
>>tonic of the minor key or chord. So, the A minor pentatonic would be
>C,
>>D, E, G, A, just as in C major, but starting on the A: A, C, D, E,
>G.
>>
>>There are actually are dozens or hundreds of other possible
>pentatonic
>>scales, so it would be a little misleading to imply that the
>so-called
>>major and minor pentatonics are the only ones.
>>
>>Ed Lacy
>>el2@-----.edu
>>
>>
>>
>
>