Beyond Pentatonics

By Graham Tippett

A lot of students ask me how they can take their improvisation skills to the next level and move beyond pentatonic scales and into modes and arpeggios. My response is to tell them not to abandon pentatonic scales in favor of modes and other soloing devices, but to use them as a springboard and a solid foundation from which to expand their harmonic awareness. If you play rock, blues and even jazz, you’ll be using pentatonic scales for the rest of your life, so there’s no need to discard them!

In this book, we’ll be using the much-loved minor pentatonic scale as the basis for learning and having a quick way to access the modes of the major scale, as well as the basic seventh chord arpeggios. This means that when you go to improvise, you'll have a vast array of options with which to go beyond pentatonic soloing. Work through this book daily and I guarantee you a smooth and painless transition from pentatonics to incorporating modes and arpeggios into your playing.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Unlock the Guitar
• Release date: May 28, 2018

Book preview

2018.

Introduction

A lot of students ask me how they can take their improvisation skills to the next level and move beyond pentatonic scales and into modes and arpeggios. My response is to tell them not to abandon pentatonic scales in favor of modes and other soloing devices, but to use them as a springboard and a solid foundation from which to expand their harmonic awareness. If you play rock, blues and even jazz, you’ll be using pentatonic scales for the rest of your life, so there’s no need to discard them!

In this book, we’ll be using the much-loved minor pentatonic scale as the basis for learning and having a quick way to access the modes of the major scale, as well as the basic seventh chord arpeggios. This means that when you go to improvise, you'll have a vast array of options with which to go beyond pentatonic soloing. Work through this book daily and I guarantee you a smooth and painless transition from pentatonics to incorporating modes and arpeggios into your playing.

The first section of this book deals with the practical side of adding modes to your soloing repertoire via pentatonics; if you already know the theory behind this, you may only need to work from this section of the book. The second section explains the theory behind pentatonics and modes so that you can understand them as they apply to the world of music. You may want to read this section first depending

Reviews for Beyond Pentatonics

[Echo Chan · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is a fantastic book, its practical concise and easy to read. but the must important thing in this book it's the crucial coorealtion between scales, arpeggios. its is vital you don't understand dominate the Pentatonic's and the linking fretboard shapes.. To me it is one the most useful books in the 10 years have playing..