The pentatonic scales are used to help learn the phrasing, for their popularity and also for their logical fingering construction, which we have already identified with the term box. Its now time to look at the pentatonic scale, working on the construction of the phrases based on the sequence of notes from that scale, in some cases leaving the fingering to develop a phrase in many positions.
The term lick should be use to specify the phrase, to indicate that its not only an exercise but also an actual phrase to use when composing or improvising. For this reason we will also use different roots, in order to facilitate the use in various situations. In each phrase, after the phrase number, the box (or boxes) and the root of the pentatonic scale are identified.
In the next page we will work on actual licks. This page, however, is dedicated both to those who are unfamiliar with the use of the pentatonic scale in phrasing, but also to whoever wants to find some useful, but not difficult, exercises to "warm-up" before playing, studying or recording. Returning to the first case, its best to train the hands (but also the head) to look at the scale not as a sequence of notes, but rather as the possibility to manage every single aspect of the scale, either melodic or technical.
Experiment for a few days with the proposed exercises, working with the metronome, obviously set to the adapted speed (slow, at least to start with). The exercises increase in difficulty as you progress. After a few days, you can move on to the next section.
Ex. 1 - Box 2 in Am
This first exercise, which for simplicity reasons is analyzed in Box 2, is basically the base that explains how to work on all the following exercises. Four notes distributed over two strings is used, repeated twice, played ad octave and finish on the fourth note. Then move up a string and repeat everything, maintaining the structure withing the fingering. Alternate picking is mandatory.
Ex. 2 - Box 1 in Am
Now we can perform the exercise in the other Boxes, starting with Box 1. With respect to the previous exercises, only the position changes. The execution, even if written on the first strings, is played on all the pairs, as in Ex 1.
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Ex. 3 - Box 3 in Am |
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Ex. 4 - Box 4 in Am
In Box 4 remember to always pay attention to the third string, where the index finger works out of position.
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Ex. 5 - Box 5 in Am |
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After having analyzed how to develop the base of the exercises on every fingering of the pentatonic scale, we can now increase the difficulty of execution by adapting the next examples to each of the Boxes. In each exercise only the fingering on the first two strings is written: its up to you to extend this to the other pairs of strings, and each of the five Boxes. Remember to use alternat picking and, if possible, a metronome.
The last bit of advice on how to play this series of exercises would be to develop one per day. For example, the first day play the base exercise (from 1 to 5), the second day Ex. 6 (adapted to all the Boxes), the next day Ex. 7 and so on.
In the case where these exercises are used as a warm-up, its up to you how you use them.
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Ex. 6 |
Ex. 7 |
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Ex. 8 |
Ex. 9 |
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In the two following pages you will find a series of licks that are very useful for adapting to various situations. Enjoy.
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