Pentatonic Scale Sequences

A melodic sequence is a fragment of a scale that, when repeated, forms a continuous pattern. Imagine that you are standing halfway up a ladder, and you've decided to create a pattern by stepping up and down the rungs. There are almost unlimited possibilities, but maybe to start, you'll make a pattern going up two steps and down one step, up two and then down once again. While there seem to be many possibilities of combinations, eventually your limitations will present themselves. For instance, you probably can't climb five steps at once. Therefore, some sequences will be more practical than others.

There are numerous sequences made from simple patterns. It is even possible to combine them and make elaborate sequences, though this mathematical approach is less common.

Let's begin by exploring the various possibilities of melodic sequences using the familiar root position minor pentatonic "box". Play the scale first as a warm-up.

A minor pentatonic scale

Moving By Interval

Our first pattern will move up the scale by a given interval.

This type of pattern is exactly like the ascending scale, except that each note is followed by another scale note, a given interval above.

Fourths

The most common way to apply this principle to the pentatonic scale is to play the scale using every-other note. This sequence results in mostly fourths. You play the first note, then the note a fourth up; then you play the second note, and a fourth up, and so on. (Note: the fourth above C is not in the scale, so you'll play a third instead.)

For each pattern, play the ascending and also work out how to play it descending.

Fifths

Another possibility is to play the scale using fifths. Because of the occasional missing fifth, you will substitute a sixth occasionally, as from "E" to "C".

Sevenths

Another approach is to play the scale using sevenths. Here, there will be more asymmetry resulting in sixths; from C to A, for example.

Key Tasks

• Apply the patterns to all five pentatonic scale fingerings.
• Practicing these patterns with a metronome is critical.
• Once mastered, try using these patterns to add excitement to your improvisation.

These sequences will help you improve your technique and get the pentatonic scales "under your fingers," allowing you to use them more productively and creatively.

Moving By Beat Grouping

In this technique, we choose a number as a beat grouping: for instance, the number "3"; then, we play a group of three notes beginning on the first note of the scale. Next, we play another group of three notes starting from the second note of the scale, and so on. This technique is commonly used, especially in beat groupings of three. However, why stop there?

First, let's play the scale as a warm-up.

A minor pentatonic scale

3-note sequence

4-note sequence

5-note sequence

6-note sequence

Notice that each beat grouping is sub-divided from a single beat. In other words, if your metronome is clicking a solid beat, you'd play three notes per beat for the 3-note example and so forth until you were playing six notes per beat in the final example. That means this exercise gets faster and faster.

Key Tasks

1. Practice: Using a metronome, practice this pattern. Keep increasing the speed of the metronome until you reach your limit. In time, your limit will increase—and your rhythm will be improving, too.
2. Challenge: Continue this pattern to 7, 8 or even more notes.
3. Step further: Create your own scale patterns for groups of 3, 4, 5, 6 or 7 notes. By considering the number of notes carefully, you can develop many patterns that are easy to play for one number of notes but difficult to play for another number. For example, a 6-note pattern could be played more easily using 3 notes per string, and sticking to two strings only.