by Dr. Matt Warnock.
The pentatonic scale is often the first scale guitarists learn when they begin to explore the realms of blues, rock and jazz improvisation. Though most guitarists learn the basic fingerings of this oft-used scale, maybe in different keys and positions across the neck, few players delve deep into the scale’s vast harmonic and melodic possibilities. Whereas rock and blues players such as Stevie Ray Vaughan, Jimi Hendrix and Jimmy Page made careers by using common application of the pentatonic, and its closely related cousin the blues scale, during their improvised solos and riffs, jazz musicians such as Pat Metheny, John Scofield and Mike Stern have applied their knowledge of modern harmony to the pentatonic scale, greatly expanding the array of sounds and tonal colors that this scale can produce. In his book Jazz Guitar Soloing Concepts: A Pentatonic Modal Approach to Improvisation, Dr. Ronald S. Lemos dives into the modern world of the pentatonic scale and presents an exhaustive volume detailing the many harmonic and melodic variations this commonly used scale can produce.
The material presented by Lemos is divided into six sections, with each section focused on an element of application or manipulation of the pentatonic scale. The first section presents eleven different permutations of the pentatonic scale. The eleven different scales include the commonly used major and minor pentatonic scales, pentatonic scales built from each mode of the major scale and pentatonic scales derived from 7(b9) and 7(b5) chords. Each different scale is given its own chapter, which contains a preamble on the theory of that scale, fingerings for each mode of that particular pentatonic scale and examples of how to use each of the eleven scales in an improvisational context.
By presenting all of this information in an easy to understand manner, and in a unified outline for each scale, Lemos allows for quick comparisons between any or all of these scales. Readers can quickly turn to the first page of each chapter and read how one scale differs from the next, for example how the Dorian pentatonic is built as compared to the Phrygian pentatonic, which is valuable knowledge for any player wanting to apply these modes to practical situations in any musical genre.
Lemos’ approach to the seven pentatonic scales that are derived from the modes of the major scale differs slightly from other jazz theory texts on the subject. His approach is more connected to the arpeggio of each mode, rather than the “characteristic” note of that mode, as can be found in other works on the subject. For example, when presenting the Dorian pentatonic scale, Lemos builds the scale with the intervals root, second, flat third, fifth and flat seventh, a minor seventh arpeggio with an added second. This scale is taken directly from the Dorian mode and fully outlines the sound of the m7 chord, which is derived from the Dorian mode as well. It differs from the “characteristic” note development found in other pentatonic method books. In that approach, the Dorian pentatonic is built with the intervals root, minor third, fourth, fifth and major sixth, basically a minor pentatonic with the flat seventh being replaced by the major sixth interval. The natural sixth is commonly referred to as the “characteristic” note of the Dorian mode as it is the only difference between it and the Aeolian mode, which contains the flat sixth interval. This is not to say that either approach is better or worse than the other, only that they are different. In fact, students and players who have studied other books on the subject will no doubt find Lemos’ approach refreshing as it provides a new angle on the pentatonic scales as compared to the “characteristic” note approach that they may have already studied.
The second section of the book outlines various ways in which these pentatonic scales can be applied to various chords. For example, over a Dm7 chord Lemos shows the reader how they can apply eight different pentatonic scales to this chord in order to change the color of their improvised lines. Each of these substitute modes is presented in chart form, for easy comparison to the other scales used over that chord, as well as in a very valuable “consonant to dissonant” layout.
This layout presents each of the substitute modes in order from the most inside to the most outside sound produced over that particular chord. For example, over the Dm7 chord mentioned earlier, the D Dorian pentatonic scale is the most consonant while the B Locrian pentatonic scale is the most dissonant. Learning to apply different colors, from the entire consonant to dissonant spectrum, is an easy and practical way to develop tonal coloring in ones improvised solos.
By simply changing the pentatonic scale one is using over a chord, say from D Dorian to B Locrian, the color of that chord is drastically changed, adding a new layer of harmonic interest to an improvised solo.
The next two sections of the book present symmetrical and “other” pentatonic scales. The pentatonic scales used in this section are built from the diminished and whole-tone scales as well as from mMaj7, Maj7(#4), 7(#9), 7(#5) and 13(b9) chords. These scales will be of great interest to guitarists who are exploring modern jazz harmony, or for those who are looking to expand their pentatonic knowledge beyond the seven modes of the major scale.
The book finishes with a chapter on common chords progressions, including blues, rhythm changes, standards and John Coltrane’s famously difficult tune “Giant Steps,” and an appendix containing a vast amount of information for further study and reference. Though the chapter on common chord progressions is presented at the end of the book, readers may want to bookmark that section and flip back and forth as they learn new scales from earlier on in the text. Lemos does an excellent job of providing practical applications for the scales found in previous chapters and readers can choose whether they want to work through the book in order, or learn one scale, then apply that particular scale to chord progressions before moving on to the next scale in the book. Either approach will be beneficial and will depend on the students’ personal practice habits as to which they choose to use.
All of the scales presented in the book are written in standard notation, tablature and in very convenient neck diagrams. This will ensure that readers who are not familiar with one or more of these notational methods will still be able to quickly learn each scale. As well, the book is accompanied by a CD featuring almost 60 examples taken from the text. The examples feature a quartet of guitar, bass, drums and piano playing each chosen figure. The audio will be a welcomed learning tool for players who are unfamiliar with the sound of some of these pentatonic scales as they can easily refer to the CD to hear Lemos playing examples of each scale.
A Pentatonic Modal Approach to Improvisation is a fountain of information for any guitarist that is looking to dive into learning the pentatonic scale, or for players who have learned the basic major and minor pentatonic scales and want to learn more about the vast harmonic and melodic possibilities these five note scales offer. With easy to follow text, copious musical examples, multiple notational methods for each scale and an accompanying CD, Lemos has covered every angle in presenting the information found in this book and has given the reader a lifetime’s worth of practice and study in a single volume.
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