Pentatonic Scale Archives

This bass lesson shows how to add chromatic flavor to the A minor pentatonic, unlocking more expressive, dynamic grooves with just a few added notes.

You likely use the minor pentatonic scale a lot. However, it’s not as simple as it seems. In fact, when you go deeper into it, you’ll realize that there’s a whole world behind it for bassists. This video lesson will help you get on the right track.

Pentatonic scales are some of the most commonly used scales in music, but their familiar patterns can often lead to uninspired ideas. Jimmy Haslip has just released a new book to help you unlock the secrets of the scales to create dynamic, engaging solos.

The chorus of “Walk This Way” by Aerosmith features a cool pentatonic riff with slides that we can build on for cool-sounding variations. Buckle up for fretboard fitness, finger acrobatics, and rocking riffs!

In this “Keep It Groovy” lesson, Ryan Madora shows how to play the E minor pentatonic scale across two octaves, both ascending and descending. Then, she adds a bit of rhythm to the scale to create a simple yet effective bass groove.

This week in The Brown’stone on No Treble, Rich Brown shares the mother of all pentatonic exercises. This one is going to be a workout, but it’ll be well worth it.

In this lesson, Rich Brown takes an in-depth look at the Pentatonic scale. We’ll get familiar with the different Pentatonic shapes created on the fretboard and how you can open up the entire fretboard using these simple shapes.

In this lesson, Lorin Cohen illustrates how to use one minor pentatonic scale over five chord types. In this case, using the B minor pentatonic scale to play over a progression. This illustrates what Lorin calls a “vertical” approach to soloing, where we create lines that move swiftly up and across the fingerboard.

Pentatonics using hammer-ons and pull-offs sounds great, but maybe you have noticed that if you stay within the same pentatonic pattern, you can only hammer on certain notes. In an effort to go beyond that, we are stringing two pentatonic patterns together so that we can pull off pull offs from every single note. I’ll show you two major pentatonic...

Today’s lesson is all about building cool grooves using the pentatonic scale with pedal tones, a technique often found in heavy metal. We’ll use a G minor pentatonic scale in the first area of the bass (more on that in the video). To create the pedal effect, we’ll be playing the root of the scale in between each note. The...

Here’s a fun lick you can use any time the music calls for a fat, dirty groove. This is in E?, built predominantly on a E? minor pentatonic fill (with a 9th added). To achieve this sound, you’ll need a couple of effects: an octaver and an overdrive. I’m using the MXR Bass Octave Deluxe, the MXR Bass Overdrive and...

Here’s a new lick for you to try with a half-time 16th shuffle groove and a hip-hop vibe. This lick is based on a G minor pentatonic scale. In the video below, I play it full speed before playing it at reduced speeds. Follow along with the transcription (standard notation and tab), and have fun! For the gear heads: I’m...