And play cool licks!
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Here we make playing scales fun, as we master them and learn to play cool licks!
Most people will tell you playing scales is no fun - but we're going to make them fun and you're going to love practicing them - as a bonus you'll get allot more out of them and be able to play cool licks right away.
You will learn some wild tricks here that many beginning - and even some experienced players - don't know. So, you'll sound like you know what you're doing right away - and you will know what you're doing.
This is the beginning of a series where we learn about all kinds of scales and different ways to master them...
I highlight info here (in yellow) that is the GAME CHANGING and part of the SECRET SAUCE of SOLOING.
I'll walk you through this step by step how to master scales and have fun along the way...
The PENTATONIC scale (Form 1)
First we learn the scale we're going to be using and the proper fingering - we want to stick with the fingering through all of the exercises and licks we play...
We start with the most basic scale - you'd be OK if you only knew this one - it's our pentatonic scale. It can be used as a C major or an Am minor scale (that's because A is the relative minor of C and both scales share the same notes).
The pentatonic scale has 5 notes. The major and the minor version of the scale use the same 5 notes - so you'll be learning two scales here. Some of the notes that are harder to use in licks are not in this scale making it an easy one to start out with - many licks you've heard use the pentatonic scale. It's used in all styles of music.
A Little theory:
Omitting the 3rd and 7th degrees, using the scale tones 1, 2, 4, 5 and 6 of the C major scale gives us the C pentatonic scale: F, G, A, C, D.
Omitting the 2nd and 6th scale degrees, using scale tones 1, ♭3, 4, 5, and ♭7 of the A minor scale - we get the minor pentatonic. Same notes as the major pentatonic: A, C, D, F, G.
Let's play it... (you can click on images too see them up close)
If you don't have a low G just skip the second one (it's there so you can see a scale starting and ending with A) - the first one is the one we'll be focusing on today...
The recommended fingering is below the notes - that will be used through this lesson. The proper fingering insures less left hand movement.
Sequences
Now we move on to beginning to master and understand this scale.
One of the best things we can do to better understand and get to know a new scale is to play sequences.
A sequence is a pattern that is repeated and applied to the scale there are many different sequences with many different patterns. We start with the most popular one - 3's...
This is something you hear all the time in solos (various sequences of 3 notes) - all these exercises - become licks and solo passages after they're mastered. You may hear a few groups of three and then something else in a solo, the next thing you hear may be a variation of some other exercise that we talk about in this series.
Start very slow here - we're simply playing groups of 3 notes.
Here we play groups of two notes...
Articulations: Hammer Ons and Pull Offs
Articulations include hammer ons, pull offs, slides staccato etc...
Hammer ons and pull offs are easy and fun to play with this scale, don't be afraid to start very slowly...
Hammer ons an pull offs are the bread and butter of licks and solos...
First Ingredients in the SECRET SAUCE & LICKS
What you've seen about how to use the pentatonic scale may be wrong - it'll work but it won't sound as good as how we use it here.
This is the way many of the legendary solo players use this scale...
Take a look at the first lick below. What we're doing there is using the scale for some simple licks between chords, to add interest to the chord progression.
You will notice the first lick is a major chord progression (in A major - A7 - D7 (no root)) and we're using an A minor pentatonic scale!
Many folks will tell you to use an A pentatonic major scale for this and they'd be right it will work but you will not have that cool sound you hear in the famous licks and solos you've been listening to and you'll wonder why your licks and solos (like many players do) don't sound as cool as the ones you hear from your favorite players.
(INGREDIENT #1) Using a minor pentatonic over a major chord progression is the first step (there's more - we'll cover it here in the future - one step at a time) into the SECRET SAUCE of soloing and playing licks.
Some note's will be out of key - and that's the sound we're looking for... That's the character we want for great sounding licks. That's where the bluesy sound comes from.
In the second lick (an A minor pentatonic ending) you'll notice another ingredient of the secret sauce - There's a note that's not in the scale! It's the note on the first fret - The A minor pentatonic has a minor 3rd, or a ♭3, and the note on the 1st fret is a major 3rd! (INGREDIENT #2) We play both the major 3rd and the minor 3rd in that lick.
We've added a major 3rd as an optional note to the A minor pentatonic scale and we've included both in the lick! We have a C and a C# in the second lick... A 3rd and a minor 3rd of A and were using an A minor pentatonic scale.
Listen to how cool that sounds!
Wow - that's next level... So there you have it...
First two ingredients in the SECRET SAUCE of SOLOING:
- Play a minor scale over a major chord progression
- Use both major and minor 3rds!
more to come... stay tuned...
Want more?
Check out my chord related books below. Create beautiful chord progressions in any key and learn to simplify any chord.
Secrets of the Chord Chain: Major and Minor Chord Progressions for the Ukulele
I wish I had books like this when I started playing!
Would have saved me years of frustration.
The great new is you can have them now—In the books I unlock the mysteries of great chord progressions for you and make it so simple to understand that you will be able to create beautiful music right away!
Everything you need to play stunning chord progressions in any key and to fully understand how chord progressions are created and where they come from is here.
Links leads to the books on amazon...
- Secrets of the Chord Chain Book 1 - Major Chord Progressions for the Ukulele
- Secrets of the Chord Chain Book 2 - Minor Chord Progressions for the Ukulele
- Secrets of the Chord Chain Complete - Major and Minor Chord Progressions for the Ukulele (SAVE WHEN YOU BUY THE COMPLETE EDITION - Books 1 & 2 - 130 pages!)
Ukulele Chord Tricks: Simplify Any Chord
There is! This book will solve all of your chord problems...
Any chord can be simplified - in this book I walk you through how to do it with many tricks that the pros know and use all the time!
- Get your paperback on Amazon: Ukulele Chord Tricks - Simplify Any Chord (this leads to the book on amazon and you can preview quite a few pages to check it out)
- Get the eBook (instant download): Ukulele Chord Tricks: Simplify Any Chord
- Get just one chapter: E Chord and Progression Tricks; E Minor Chord and Progression Tricks; two chapters (they go together): Triads & Accompaniment Patterns Some of these are available FREE to patreon members.
FREE PDF's - Chord book and all scales harmonized with chords (with related articles):
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