Major and minor pentatonic on rock songs

JohnHurley

Rock and Roll
I am just starting to get a bit comfortable with switching out of minor pentatonic on blues songs etc. A work in progress theres slowly a light coming on. Plus well sometimes switching to minor pent for the 4 and 5 chords ( every chord is the root ). But so im sorta getting slowly better at that sometimes.

OK so the question today is the song Whats Up by 4 non blondes. Its a 4 chord A Bm D A song yeah its rock or maybe really loud folk but anyhow. Those chords repeat the whole song. So its a 1 2 4 1 chords all the way.

I have the lead sorted out as of the live recording. Its nice and smooth and ... not bad at all.

The lead is "mostly" on A minor pentatonic for the 1st and 4th chords ( the A at the beginning and end of each 4 chords ). For the two middle chords Bm and D the lead switches down neck to A major pent.

I am happy enough I can see it and understand how its being done. But is there any general significance beyond this specific song is there a pattern for a wider understanding of rock?

Sorry no I havent started Griffs rock class yet but of course I own it.

THanks John
 
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Zzzen Dog

Blues Junior
Okay... first off, so cool that you're picking up this song! Always enjoyed the song and that album. I too haven't started his classic rock course yet, even though I own it. So let me offer my very limited, and probably flawed view on this...

Let's start from the basis that the major scale is going to sound good over the entire progression because it's what the harmonized scale is built from. By extension the major pentatonic would sound just fine over the minor 2nd chord and the 4th. Because we have been ear trained to like hearing the minor pentatonic over a I IV and V of a chord progression, the flat 3rd and flat 7th sound good to us over the I and IV (even though they're not using it). However a minor pentatonic from the root chord, wouldn't work over the minor 2nd.

Super simplistic, but maybe that helps a little? I'm sure someone with more knowledge will chime in soon.
 

Paleo

Student Of The Blues
I’d only be repeating what you could hear directly from Griff.

Check out the AAP Theory Archives:

9/16/19 : Pentatonics and Chords

10/16/19 : Diatonic vs Pentatonic Soloing


And for good measure, an earlier session inspired by questions on the forum by a member named "John":

8/21/18 : The Maj/Min Pentatonic Scale Thang

Especially following the question @30:30 where Griff plays C min pent over a C Major diatonic progression, C Am F G. :eek:
 
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jmin

Student Of The Blues
…But is there any general significance beyond this specific song is there a pattern for a wider understanding of rock?
Sorry no I havent started Griffs rock class yet but of course I own it.
THanks John

John, I’m about half-way through the Classic Rock Guitar Unleashed course, and the notes of the minor pentatonic scale are the only ones used so far. (I know the maj pentatonic gets introduced soon). But, the biggest difference I’m seeing as far as “pattern” is the way the scale (pent) is “extended” - not just played across the box, but up and down the fretboard. I was curious, myself, about how rock works, this course is really de-mystifying it. Just like BGU did for the blues!
 

Paleo

Student Of The Blues
Just re-watched the 3 aforementioned sessions.

Some general options taken from them.

1) If the all chords are in one key, play the scale of the I chord. A Bm D A -----> A Major scale over all

2) Minor pentatonic over a Major chord (same root) will sound "bluesy". Am pentatonic over A Major chord

3) Follow the chords with the pentatonic of each: A Maj pent over A, B minor pent over Bm and D Maj pent over D.
 
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JohnHurley

Rock and Roll
Hey thanks Paleo ... so it kind of sounds like Whats Up at least the lead guitar part is doing parts of your 1 and 2 above.

The lead guitar part ( which varies just slightly ) and mostly repeats through the whole original song ... is based on 2 for the beginning A and ending A. Then does 1 aka A major pent ( a subset of A major scale I am pretty sure ) over the Bm and D.

Dang was that my questions on the 2018 session reference I was not all access back then. Maybe another John ...

Thanks Again Paleo you never get bothered by how bad my brain is on this stuff. My fingers seem to do it better than my brain understands mostly these days.
 

Paleo

Student Of The Blues
Always a pleasure.

Explaining helps reinforce concepts in my own brain.

Haven't heard that song in years.

I'll have to check it out and see what's up.
 
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