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The Major Pentatonic Scale

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In this course we’re going to be studying a very popular and useful scale – the major pentatonic. As you’ll learn from the course, the major pentatonic is derived from the major scale and works well in all styles of music.

As bass players, the major pentatonic is an important scale for us to learn. With that in mind, this course covers ways in which to learn the scale all over the fretboard (without relying on shapes or patterns) and then puts it to use in a series of ‘real world’ bass grooves. The first few exercises are written in C major (a logical key to start learning the scale with), after which there are lines written in other keys. By the end of this course you should be very familiar with the sound of the major pentatonic scale and you’ll find that it makes a valuable addition to your scale vocabulary.

Don’t forget to hit the Download Resources button above to get hold of the PDF worksheets and the audio files for this course (available to subscribers only).

This course contains the following videos, each of which can be selected from the video player above:

1 – Introduction to the Major Pentatonic Scale

In this video we’ll be talking about the major pentatonic scale and discussing how and where it is commonly used.

2 – Playing the Major Pentatonic Scale

In this lesson we’ll cover the theory behind the major pentatonic scale, and I’ll be showing you how to play it all over the fingerboard using the ‘content over patterns’ concept. In learning the scale this way, you won’t be limited to only using it in certain parts of the fingerboard.

3 – Major Pentatonic Exercise #1

This rock bassline makes use of the C major pentatonic scale. This is a simple exercise and a great place to start if you are new to the scale.

4 – Major Pentatonic Exercise #2

This exercise is a funk bassline that uses the C major pentatonic scale. This is a more complex line but illustrates how effective the scale can be for building bass grooves.

5 – Major Pentatonic Exercise #3

This is a chordal exercise, again using C major pentatonic. When playing this exercise, it’s important to let the C on the E-string continue ringing as the upper notes are played.

6 – Major Pentatonic Exercise #4

This is a busy line that will put your finger fitness to the test! Once again we’re using the C major pentatonic scale here.

7 – Major Pentatonic Exercise #5

This is a challenging rock bassline that uses the C major pentatonic scale. The fill in the fourth bar might seem hideously complex, but it’s a little simpler to play than it might seem.

8 – Major Pentatonic Exercise #6

This exercise is in the key of G and uses the G major pentatonic scale: G – A – B – D – E. This is a simple line that makes use of some common pentatonic patterns, with a long fill in the fourth bar.

9 – Major Pentatonic Exercise #7

This exercise is a funk groove based on the A major pentatonic scale: A – B – C# – D – E.

10 – Major Pentatonic Exercise #8

This exercise is a slap bassline that uses the B major pentatonic scale: B – C# – D# – F# – G#. The pentatonic scale works well for slap grooves, as you’ll hear from this exercise.

11 – Major Pentatonic Exercise #9

This line uses the E major pentatonic scale (E – F# – G# – B – C#) and consists of an upper register melody line over an open E-string foundation. Simple pentatonic fills are used at the end of each two-bar phrase.

12 – Major Pentatonic Exercise #10

This is a soul/R&B groove in Bb that centres around the root, fifth and sixth of the key. This is another common use of the pentatonic scale. We’re using Bb major pentatonic here: Bb – C – D – F – G.