The Five Pentatonic Shapes and their meaning
Topic: Guitar Theory

Sometimes the answers to questions are right out there - I mean, really right out there and they seem so evident to some folks that actually explaining them doesn't seem necessary. But alas that is not the case in real life. Here we have a diagram of the Five Pentatonic Shapes along the Fretboard. Now the shapes are pretty good to know but it's only one step in understanding them. You can see them lined up together on the Fretboard in the usual manner - confusing unless you can see the individual shapes as you can in this diagram. Not only can you discern the five individual shapes but there is also actual reasons for the shape that become apparent to you when you've memorized all the notes and shapes and have spent years in study. But for me without a music education I need things put a little more simply and understandably. To the left you can see the two 6th String Root, Minor and Major Pentatonic shapes. Those have a purple box for the 6th String Root, Minor Pentatonic and a green box for the 6th String Root Major Pentatonic Shape.  So the first shape you usually see nearest the nut on the Fretboard is the shape for the 6th String Root, Minor Pentatonic Shape. The second Shape you see is the 6th String Root, Major Pentatonic Shape. Now those shapes give you the minor and major pentatonics for the root note which is the lowest note on the sixth string. That note is the note closest to the top or nut of the Fretboard. You can go down the sixth string and put the root for the major and minor shapes, looking below this entry for those Scale Formulas for the 6th Strings and just go to town. It's a good way to start learning those notes and why you want to learn those notes. The middle Pentatonic Shape, the Third Pattern has it's own unique information with both the minor and major shapes from that pattern, - that's another posting. The two shapes at the end or right of the Fretboard diagram are for the 5th String Root, Minor and Major Pentatonic Shapes.  They use the same scale formulas that you will find in previous blog entries below.  It's almost like this stuff is making sense to me.

G Major Pentatonic 6th String Root
Now Playing: Dexter Gordon, Scrapple From the Apple
Topic: Guitar Theory

Well here is the next chart I have, suitable for printing and posting on the wall of your practice room. The G Major Pentatonic, 6th String Root. I know the reason it says 6th String Root is because we're on the Sixth String to start and it's the Root of this Pentatonic in G Major.  The Cool thing here is that the shape is the Second Shape of the Five Shapes of the Pentatonic. And as such, you can play 12 Major Pentatonics by just moving your Root on the Sixth String up and down that string, follow the Chart, put your finger on the Root you want. Fascinating. Nobody has explained to me why you can do a Major Pentatonic starting on the Ab since that's a flat or on the A#. My mind easily boggles and I'll just take this on faith for a bit.  The Scale Formula is R (Root), 2, 3, 5 and 6.  Pretty simple, none of those scary b's (flats) or #'s (sharps). For where this fingering is shown, starting the Root on the 6th String, third Fret - the G Note - the rest of the notes line up pretty nicely in this instance. R,2,3,5 and 6 translates into G, A, B, D, E. (and then repeats across the Fretboard) Peach keen and just this much short of Fabulous! Ah, discussions with actual people can be found at the TrueFire.com forum - right about HERE

G Minor Pentatonic, 6th String Root
Now Playing: Dave BruBeck - Take Five
Topic: Guitar Theory
This chart has the G Minor Pentatonic, 6th String Root, it also has the Minor Pentatonic Scale Formula which is R (root), b3 (Flatted 3rd Note), 4th, 5th and b7 (Flatted 7th Note).  And as a super extra bonus the 'Shape' is first shape you see when you are looking at the chart of the Five Pentatonic Shapes! Use the chart just below to see what those notes actually are. The Root is G as you can see.  The b3 note is the Flatted Third. Looking at the chart we see that it doesn't land on a Whole note. Oh fudge. Well, lets see. The notes that aren't Whole notes are flats and sharps. Now owing to a confused sense of direction the flats and sharps confuse me.  Which probably means I need to make myself a graphic for it. On the 6th String, the low string, the string is tuned to E. Press that first fret at the top and you get yourself a F note. The next note down the string is a F#(F Sharp) and a Gb (G Flat).  Ah, blinding confusing. That third Fret on the E String in this instance is the G - which as you can see by this chart is the Root of this Pentatonic Scale. I count three frets down and find myself out of the comfortable territory of the Whole Notes and find myself on the b3 Note of this scale. The Fifth Fret on the E String is the A Note so the sixth fret holds the A# (A Sharp) and the Bb (B Flat). So the first two notes of our G Minor Pentatonic in this case are G and Bb. So far so good. The chart shows the next note on the scale is the 4th and it's on the A String 3rd Fret. That looks like the C Note. I hop a Fret to the 5th Fret and find myself on another Whole Note - the D Note.  So now we're looking at  - G, Bb, C, D. There is that Flatted 7th on the next string up and on the 3rd Fret of the D String.  Humm. I see from my Note Chart that it's the F Note. Interesting. Not sure why that isn't a flat or a sharp. But I'm sure I'll get that figured out someday. So, the notes here are G, Bb, C, D, F. I better go take an Aleve and see if I can fret a bit.

All the Whole Notes along 12 Frets
Now Playing: Sonny Rollins - The Bridge

Well, as I mentioned, a bit of the carpal tunnel in the fretting hand and so I have to do some things I can do with one hand, so a bit of graphics updating is in order. Here is a Fretboard Diagram of all the Whole Notes along the first 12 Frets. The A notes are all one color, the B notes are all the same color and so on. Something to print up and hang on the wall if you're like me and a visual learner and wish to commit the notes on the Fretboard to your memory. Life is an adventure, find your fun and find your groove.

 

Animated Whatcha talking bout Wolfboy?
Now Playing: Christian Sands, Lonesome Lover - Jazz
Topic: Art and Poetry
  A little animated graphic to respond to Wolfboy1 teasing me a bit about my overly detailed Pentatonic Scale charts. I do such charts when my fretting wrist is in pain and there isn't much to be done in the way of playing the guitar.  :)

Updating the Front Page a Bit
Now Playing: Sirius NFL Radio

Well I've put a few new pictures on the front page of the website for those who occasionally check that out. Always good to have that recent picture and so I put one of those up. I mention on the front page that I'm looking for a Bernese Mountain Dog puppy. It's one of those desires that has taken a while to come to me and now I'm deep in the process of trying to find a good quality puppy. Now in my self education here I've come to know that there are actual 'Puppy Mills' where I have to think the folks are not trying to do bad things but in the scheme of things they breed their dogs without much regard to the health certifications that many breeds use to maintain the quality and improve the quality of the breed. For instance, there are back and joint and cancer issues with some dogs and responsible breeders are spending a great deal of time and effort to breed those bad things out of the dogs. Well, I'm staying away from those sort of establishments. The result of that is that all of the breeders I've spoken with are very protective of where their dogs go. So my discussions turn into interviews to see if I'm worthy. I understand that and it's a bit like trying to get into Law School. Sort of an endurance test but the end result will be worth it. A  loyal companion of good temperment - yup definitely worth it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And here is that recent picture of me. :)

Another New Year Arrives

another year comes on down and good riddance to the last one. Hopefully everyone has a better year this time. At the Truefire forum we've had a new course by Mr. Larry Carlton - an honest to goodness Jazz Legend. A great course, a great guitarist and a good fellow. I've even got the autographed CD he put out last year. That's how cool I am.

Some pictures
Now Playing: A thumping in my head

It's been a cold week and I've seen foxes out and about in the night and even in the day. Found this doe taking a rest on the yard.

Christmas Banner for Truefire
Topic: Art and Poetry

Just a Christmas Banner to sit under my posts on the TrueFire forum. All sorts of excitement there these days. We've got Larry Carlton in the forum moderating and answering questions on his new guitar course 335 Improv. Very hot stuff, mostly over my head but still quite cool.

Nothing Much
Nothing much to see here, just attempting to get a image to a forum. :)

Wow, just wow
Now Playing: Giusy Ferreri
Some days are just surreal in the greater scheme of things. That smug bas***d Scott Peterson is finally arrested for one of the possible murders he has allegedly committed so you start to feel that maybe some things are right in the world then there is this mentally unbalanced person that kills a girl he knows over at the Wesley College area in Connecticut. The only good part about that is that he was caught in short order and you read the bits of details that are out and you wonder how come this got that far. Where did the guy get the gun, why didn't anyone see anything coming considering all the red flags that went out over his behavior.  Who knows except to say that it's sad for the young girl and her family. Still and all, very very bizarre in many ways. Wow.

The animation works much nicer over here though. A silly little thing but what the heck.

All right, some more black hat winking bearded happy faces
Topic: Art and Poetry

                                                           

 

Contributions to the forum for guitar players. An animation.

 

 

Playing with the animation of gifs