Left facing Right Facing

RobertBerry

Blues Newbie
In the November BGU Labs Challenge the terms left facing and right facing scales are bandied about. I need some help. When Griff says right facing minor scale in box 1 or left facing major scale In box 3, I think he’s telling me box one of the pentatonic scale or box three of the pentatonic scale with the blue notes added. Am I correct? Can any one provide a link to tab of the left and right major and minors?
 

Randy S

Blues Junior
Here you go.

In minor box 1 the roots on the 1st and 6th strings are right facing- the root on the 4th string is left facing. In minor box 2 the root on the 4th string is right facing and the root on the 2nd string is left facing. And so on ...........
 

Attachments

  • Major and minor boxes arranged by root and string.pdf
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RobertBerry

Blues Newbie
Thanks for your help Randy. I have a quick follow up if I may? On the attachment you provided .. The significance of different colored root notes is .. red = left, green = right?
 

jmin

Student Of The Blues
Not sure I followed Randy’s explanation, but on the charts, the red dots are the roots of the minor scale, the green dots are the roots in the major scale. When you play the scale and the notes are “to the right” (or towards the bridge) of the root note, that’s right facing. If the notes are to the left of the root (towards the nut), they’re left facing. (Eg - box 1 minor = right facing; box 5 minor = left facing). Hope that’s right (or left!)!

PS - Griff often uses “pentatonic” and “blues” scale interchangeabley. You’re right - for blues, usually add the blue note to the pentatonic scale.
 
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Randy S

Blues Junior
Not sure I followed Randy’s explanation, but on the charts, the red dots are the roots of the minor scale, the green dots are the roots in the major scale. When you play the scale and the notes are “to the right” (or towards the bridge) of the root note, that’s right facing. If the notes are to the left of the root (towards the nut), they’re left facing. (Eg - box 1 minor = right facing; box 5 minor = left facing). Hope that’s right (or left!)!
Jmin has it right.
 

MikeS

Student Of The Blues
Staff member
I don't know if this will help or confuse, but it's what I've been using...
Maj/min
The "Index/Ring" are where you place the Root note.
The top diagram, is for Major sound (Boxes 3 & 4)
The lower diagram is for the minor sound (Boxes 2 & 3)

At least that's what I've been using.
 

Paleo

Student Of The Blues
I go by where the octave of the root I'm on can be found.

EX: 6th String root. One octave is to the right on the 4th string (Minor Box 1 & Major Box 2). The other place you can find this same note is to the left on the 3rd string (Minor Box 5 & Major Box 1).

Notice that when you get to the octave, your direction actually changes to the opposite.

EX: Overall, Minor Box 1 is right facing (octave to right on 4th string), but from the octave you go left.

So looking at the Boxes Overall, Minor 1, 2 & 4 are right facing as well as Major 2, 3 & 5.

Minor 3 & 5 and Major 1 & 4 are left facing.

But within each box the direction will change when you get to the octave of whatever root you start on.

Clear as mud.:unsure:
 

The Reverend

Blues Newbie
How I play my major and minor pent. scales is 6th string Am pent scale. Now use 6th string at Gb and play the same minor scale and this gives you the A major. After that start at different root note and just play the scale backwords. But it does help to know the names of the notes.
 

Paleo

Student Of The Blues
You can also consider the open/barre chord shapes that are derived from the scales.

E, A & D are right facing chords [Upper root (octave) to right of lower root].

G & C are left facing chords [Upper root (octave) to left of lower root].

Right Facing Chord Shapes, Octaves & Boxes:

E/Em = Major Box 2/Minor Box 1
A/Am = Major Box 5/Minor Box 4
D/Dm = Major Box 3/Minor Box 2

Left Facing Chord Shapes, Octaves & Boxes:

C/Cm = Major Box 4/Minor Box 3
G/Gm = Major Box 1/Minor Box 5
 

Paleo

Student Of The Blues
To make things even simpler, from any root (or any note in any scale) the next note of the scale is both to the right on the same string and to the left on the next string up. Two options. Your choice.
 
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