# Why does this A min pentatonic note sound good?



## Flaccid Chaos (Dec 19, 2021)

I just started practicing improvisation and I can't tell you how much fun this is. I've been playing this scale over a backing trach and that note I added sounds so good. Why? It's not part of the scale and not part of the blues scale. Just trying to learn some theory along the way. As always, thanks for the feedback.


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## player99 (Sep 5, 2019)

Well it's the second note of the major scale, it is also the second note in the major pentatonic scale. But it's also the second note in the Dorian scale.

If I were you I would try having a look at the Dorian scale.


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## Mark Brown (Jan 4, 2022)

Penta-tonic
5 note scale. You just added one more back, enter the hexa-tonic scale... no thats not a thing just agree with player 99 but bare in mind that all natural major and minor scales consists of 7 notes.
pentatonic is a reduced scale.


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## Doug Gifford (Jun 8, 2019)

Brunz said:


> Penta-tonic
> 5 note scale. You just added one more back, enter the hexa-tonic scale... no thats not a thing just agree with player 99 but bare in mind that all natural major and minor scales consists of 7 notes.
> pentatonic is a reduced scale.


Sorry Brunz, but 7 is not the law in music. A hexatonic scale is a thing. The chromatic scale has 12 notes. I guess you could have a two-note scale but it would make for a kind of odd piece of music.

Harry Partch invented a 42-division scale and built the instruments that could play it. Worth a watch and listen.


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## Grab n Go (May 1, 2013)

You're adding the 2nd note of the A minor scale. You can also add the same note on the 6th string too.

Nothing weird. Add the 6th and you have all the notes of the natural minor scale. Pattern 1 corresponds to the box pattern pentatonic that you have there. (The green notes are the root notes.)


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## Mark Brown (Jan 4, 2022)

Doug Gifford said:


> Sorry Brunz, but 7 is not the law in music. A hexatonic scale is a thing. The chromatic scale has 12 notes. I guess you could have a two-note scale but it would make for a kind of odd piece of music.
> 
> Harry Partch invented a 42-division scale and built the instruments that could play it. Worth a watch and listen.


You can make whatever scale you want....
hence the pretext


Brunz said:


> bare in mind that all natural major and minor scales consists of 7 notes.


You can make an infinite number of "scales" with an infinite number of notes. There are not a lot of rules inside of the rules. I have heard of the Harry Partch and have to agree with you. Some very interesting material.


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## Doug Gifford (Jun 8, 2019)

Flaccid Chaos said:


> I just started practicing improvisation and I can't tell you how much fun this is. I've been playing this scale over a backing trach and that note I added sounds so good. Why? It's not part of the scale and not part of the blues scale. Just trying to learn some theory along the way. As always, thanks for the feedback.
> 
> View attachment 405495


That note isn't just some added note to the pentatonic scale. It's right next the the minor third, which is a really important note in the scale and it's the only note that is just a half-tone away from another -- again, the third. This gives it an extra kick of energy in motion.

It dares you to bend it up.


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## Hammerhands (Dec 19, 2016)

The primary consideration is how the note relates to the chord being played.


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## YaReMi (Mar 9, 2006)

Hammerhands said:


> The primary consideration is how the note relates to the chord being played.


Bingo!


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## GuyB (May 2, 2008)

Exactly ! Take "Summertime", a blues form in A minor pentatonic : the use of the B note (the note the OP likes) in bar 7 and the beginning of bar 8 is a good exemple of what Hammerhands said.


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## Mooh (Mar 7, 2007)

The typical published basic Summertime melody is minor, but not completely pentatonic so I would simply call it minor. The typical harmony as indicated by the chords is well outside of pentatonic.


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## dgreen (Sep 3, 2016)

Flaccid Chaos said:


> I just started practicing improvisation and I can't tell you how much fun this is. I've been playing this scale over a backing trach and that note I added sounds so good. Why?


just consider it a passing note which is a semitone below your target note. Of course it will sound good and generally always works.


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## evenon (Nov 13, 2006)

Hendrix liked it as a 9. Solo to Purple Haze amongst others has it in there, adds some flavour and catches the ear. ( Maybe it was "If 2 was 9" instead of "If 6 was 9")


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## Mooh (Mar 7, 2007)

evenon said:


> Hendrix liked it as a 9. Solo to Purple Haze amongst others has it in there, adds some flavour and catches the ear. ( Maybe it was "If 2 was 9" instead of "If 6 was 9")


Well, it's the 9 of the 1 chord, 6 of the 4 chord, 5 of the 5 chord. Maybe he was channeling Pythagorus.


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## GuyB (May 2, 2008)

Let's say that it's mainly in A minor and that it has a "touch" of pentatonic, except for the B in mm. 7-8.


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## Mutant_Guitar (Oct 24, 2021)

take a look at the Slominsky book, there's likely a copy floating around the internet. It's got some "big picture" ideas that many great 20th century composers/musicians had used.


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## Dorian2 (Jun 9, 2015)

You can also check out the minor Pentatonic scale against an Am9 chord for a similar "sound". Minnor 9's are one of my favorite sounds.


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