A pentatonic scale is a 5 notes scale. There's a major pentatonic scale, and a minor one.
Major pentatonic scale
Major pentatonic scale containe the 5 first notes of the circle of fifths. If you start on a C :
C - G - D - A - E
Let's order those notes :
C - D - E - G - A
You can play this scale on C major chord, CMaj7 or C7.
Fingering of this scale is : 1-2-3-1-2
Minor pentatonic scale
Minor pentatonic scale is very different from major's one. We could think that it is the same scale but with an altered third, but it is not. Here it is in tonality of C:
C - Eb - F - G - Bb
C - Eb - F - G - Bb
Fingering I use for playing this scale is: 1-2-3-1-2
As the name suggests you can play this scale on a blues progression. For example, in a C blues, the C blues scale will work fine during the entire progression. That's why this scale is very useful !
I will soon write a complete post about blues changes because there's so much to say about that progression. It seems simple but it could be upgraded to be more complicated and jazzy.
In the same way, you can use this scale on minor7 or dominant 7 chords, it works just fine.
Do not use that too often on dominant 7 chords, because of this minor third which brings tension with the Major third of the chord. The 'jazzy' sound comes from such tensions, so you can play with them, and try to resolve them, but you shouldn't insist with the tension by making it last too long or by ending a phrase on it.
It's possible to use this scale on Major 7 chords, but it's trickier. Try it and trust you ear to use it at the good time. Listen to great pianists such as Nat King Cole, he is the best at it.
Blues scale
Blues scale is a minor pentatonic plus the "blue note", the augmented 4th. In C tonality, F# is added: C - Eb - F - F# - G - Bb
A fingering often used by pianists is: 1-2-3-4-1-2
Some pianists use another one, which I think is less fluent: 1-2-1-2-1-2
But if you are playing two times this scale, over 2 octaves, you can use a more fluent version: 1-2-3-4-1-2-3-4-1-2-3-4 (means the 2nd C is played with 3rd finger)
Some pianists use another one, which I think is less fluent: 1-2-1-2-1-2
But if you are playing two times this scale, over 2 octaves, you can use a more fluent version: 1-2-3-4-1-2-3-4-1-2-3-4 (means the 2nd C is played with 3rd finger)
As the name suggests you can play this scale on a blues progression. For example, in a C blues, the C blues scale will work fine during the entire progression. That's why this scale is very useful !
I will soon write a complete post about blues changes because there's so much to say about that progression. It seems simple but it could be upgraded to be more complicated and jazzy.
In the same way, you can use this scale on minor7 or dominant 7 chords, it works just fine.
Do not use that too often on dominant 7 chords, because of this minor third which brings tension with the Major third of the chord. The 'jazzy' sound comes from such tensions, so you can play with them, and try to resolve them, but you shouldn't insist with the tension by making it last too long or by ending a phrase on it.
It's possible to use this scale on Major 7 chords, but it's trickier. Try it and trust you ear to use it at the good time. Listen to great pianists such as Nat King Cole, he is the best at it.
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