Pentatonic Ideas 2 – Thinking Out Of The Box
Pentatonic Ideas 2 – Thinking Out Of The Box
In the first article on pentatonic ideas, we explored some ways we can branch out of the typical 2 note per string pentatonic shapes. This is a continuation of that article. In this article however, we will be approaching the pentatonic scale using string skipping and sweep picking.
String Skipping Pentatonic Scale
This idea is fairly simple to grasp. The challenge here would be executing it and getting it to sound clean, since it involves string skipping. Take your regular pentatonic scale and only play the notes on strings 6, 4 and 2, or 5, 3 and 1. This works for every pentatonic box. Figures A and B show these examples in box 1.
Figure A
Figure B
Since the notes played this way are further apart from each other, they produce a more open and unique sound, especially if you sequence the scale and play it at faster tempos. Try this idea with every pentatonic box and come up with your own sequences. Remember, you don’t need to always pick each note. Combine hammer ons and pull offs to your picked notes to produce a more percussive sound. It also becomes easier to play compared to picking every note.
Sweep Picked Pentatonics (212)
When we think of the pentatonic scale, we rarely think of sweep picking through it, since it’s typically played as a 2 note per string scale. However, if we rearrange the notes to make it a 2 1 2 pattern, the shape would lend itself more towards sweep picking. You could get some really great phrases from this shape. The 2 1 2 pattern simply means playing 2 notes on the first string, 1 note on the next and 2 notes on the last string. This has to be done across 3 adjacent strings. To avoid having to barre 2 strings across the same fret and to make the shape more symmetrical, the 2 notes on the first and last string will be non-adjacent. This means you will need to combine two adjacent boxes. Figures C, D, E and F show this across box 1 and 2.
Figure C
Figure D
Figure E
Figure F
This idea requires some wide stretches, so you should use it on the higher frets. Pick the first note on the low string with a downstroke, hammer on the next note on the same string, then do a sweep across the single note on the middle string and the first note on the highest string. To descend the shape, pick the highest note on the last string with an upstroke, pull off to the lower note on the same string and sweep down across the single note on the middle string to the second note on the low string. This picking motion will set you up to repeat the same phrase and be able to play it as a loop. Do this slowly to a metronome until you feel comfortable with these motions. You can experiment with new ways of phrasing these ideas.
Spend a considerable amount of time on each of these ideas. Once you are comfortable with them, practice them over backing tracks and integrate them into your own playing style!
Learning to play guitar on your own can be frustrating and challenging, especially if you don’t know what to do. Having a great teacher makes the whole process more fun, enjoyable and gets you real results fast.
Solve your guitar-related problems at GuitarKL, in Kuala Lumpur, MALAYSIA. Visit https://guitarkl.com to become an awesome guitar player
In the first article on pentatonic ideas, we explored some ways we can branch out of the typical 2 note per string pentatonic shapes. This is a continuation of that article. In this article however, we will be approaching the pentatonic scale using string skipping and sweep picking.
String Skipping Pentatonic Scale
This idea is fairly simple to grasp. The challenge here would be executing it and getting it to sound clean, since it involves string skipping. Take your regular pentatonic scale and only play the notes on strings 6, 4 and 2, or 5, 3 and 1. This works for every pentatonic box. Figures A and B show these examples in box 1.
Figure A
Figure B
Since the notes played this way are further apart from each other, they produce a more open and unique sound, especially if you sequence the scale and play it at faster tempos. Try this idea with every pentatonic box and come up with your own sequences. Remember, you don’t need to always pick each note. Combine hammer ons and pull offs to your picked notes to produce a more percussive sound. It also becomes easier to play compared to picking every note.
Sweep Picked Pentatonics (212)
When we think of the pentatonic scale, we rarely think of sweep picking through it, since it’s typically played as a 2 note per string scale. However, if we rearrange the notes to make it a 2 1 2 pattern, the shape would lend itself more towards sweep picking. You could get some really great phrases from this shape. The 2 1 2 pattern simply means playing 2 notes on the first string, 1 note on the next and 2 notes on the last string. This has to be done across 3 adjacent strings. To avoid having to barre 2 strings across the same fret and to make the shape more symmetrical, the 2 notes on the first and last string will be non-adjacent. This means you will need to combine two adjacent boxes. Figures C, D, E and F show this across box 1 and 2.
Figure C
Figure D
Figure E
Figure F
This idea requires some wide stretches, so you should use it on the higher frets. Pick the first note on the low string with a downstroke, hammer on the next note on the same string, then do a sweep across the single note on the middle string and the first note on the highest string. To descend the shape, pick the highest note on the last string with an upstroke, pull off to the lower note on the same string and sweep down across the single note on the middle string to the second note on the low string. This picking motion will set you up to repeat the same phrase and be able to play it as a loop. Do this slowly to a metronome until you feel comfortable with these motions. You can experiment with new ways of phrasing these ideas.
Spend a considerable amount of time on each of these ideas. Once you are comfortable with them, practice them over backing tracks and integrate them into your own playing style!
Learning to play guitar on your own can be frustrating and challenging, especially if you don’t know what to do. Having a great teacher makes the whole process more fun, enjoyable and gets you real results fast.
Solve your guitar-related problems at GuitarKL, in Kuala Lumpur, MALAYSIA. Visit https://guitarkl.com to become an awesome guitar player