Jimmy Herring Discussion

[Swain]

Take the old "5th. Fret, Am Pentatonic Box" and move that "Box Shape" around the Fretboard to other positions and relationships.

Here's some good ways:

1. This "Box" works over Major, Minor, and Dominant Chords.

Over Major, play the "Box" with your Pinky on the Root of the Major Chord, on the Fat E String.

EX: Over A Major, play the Box at the 2nd./5th. Frets. Index Finger=2nd. Fret, Pinky=5th. Fret.

Over Minor, play the Box with your Index Finger on the Low E String Root of the Minor Chord.

EX: Over Am, play the Box with your Index Finger on the E String, 5th. Fret.

Over Dominant Chords, the same positions as for the Minor Chords. This is more of a "Blues" position.

EX: Over A7 (or A9, A7b9, A7#9, A7#11, A13, etc.), play the Box with your Index Finger on the Root of the Dominant Chord. i.e. Index Finger on the E String, 5th. Fret.

To really add some "Blues Approved" Mojo, add the Major 3rd. to the Box. In "A", this would be a C# Note.

EX: Over A7 (etc.), add the E String/9th. Fret, A String/4th. Fret, G String/ 6th. Fret.

Hammering or Sliding UP to the Major 3rd. from the Minor 3rd. is a Classis move. Fun stuff!

2. "Jazzy" Pentatonics:

Over any Dominant Chord, play the Minor Pentatonic, starting from the 5th. of the Dominant Chord.

EX: Over A7 (etc.), play Em Pentatonic. Index Finger, E String/12th. Fret.

Sounds like Dorian, when you use it like this.

3. Play it 1 Fret below the Root of a Major Chord. This yields a cool Lydian type of sound. (Think John Scofield)

4. Another Pentatonic "Trick":

If you want to play ALL of the "Outside" Notes in a Key, just play the minor Pentatonic Scale, 3 Frets Higher than the TOnic.

EX:

Over the Key of G, play Bbm Pentatonic.

G = G A B C D E F#

The 5 "Outside" Notes?

Ab Bb Db Eb F

Bb Db Eb F Ab = Bbm Pentatonic

So, a quick and easy access to all the Outside Notes, within familiar Patterns and Forms.

By using these familiar Patterns, you may find it much easier to access and hear how to use these outside Notes.

5. Here's a cool one:

I play off the diatonic triad, built from the slashed bass note.

EX: Over G/B (In G)
I'd play the Bm triad.

Then, I might expand on that. Maybe treat the Bm as a ii chord. Then, play a ii V (Bm - E7).

The E7 is just a little outside. Not so much, that I get into too much trouble!

You can keep going with this idea if you want to take it outside, or into another key. etc.

It works pretty well. Especially when you're "in the moment".

6. Here's an idea I picked up from Robben Ford:

Replace the b7 in a Minor Pentatonic Scale, with a 6th.

EX: In Am Pent., replace the G, with an F#.

It really does yield a type of "Sweeter" sound.

I often do this, while totally avoiding the b7. Then, after working it for awhile, I FINALLY add the b7th. This is similar to a Tension?Release type of effect. The 6th. sounds great, and really helps you swing into a different feel, and phrasing. And when you finally do add the b7th., it sounds like "Coming Home" (Resolution).

Give it a try! It's one of the easiest ways I've found, to mine some cool new sounds from familiar territory.

7. Here's another technique that has really helped me. And, it seems to make sense to a lot of my Students, as well.

Superimposing one Pentatonic "Box" over another.

Instead of playing say, an Am Pent. at the 5th. Fret, and an Em Pent. at the 12th. Fret, try playing both Pents. at the 5th. Fret. Switching back and forth, between them.

8. For a Melodic Minor type tone, this one will give all the cool Altered Tones of using Melodic Minor, a 1/2 Step above the "V" Chord.

EX: Over any Dominant Chord, play Minor Pentatonic starting from the m3rd. of the Dominant Chord.

Over E7, play Gm Pentatonic.

Waddayathink?

[Swain]

Here's something to chew on:

[Swain]

No one?

Okay, then.......

[olegvoronin]

great stuff man, thanx!