This weeks lesson takes a look at performing substitutions with diatonic pentatonic scale ideas. This is an easy idea to work on that can produce a fresh new sound into any solo or melody line.

How This Works

For example, if we performed an, A minor, chord (as a looped jam-track), and then we played the fifth degree, E minor, pentatonic scale, (from the same key), we would get a really cool pentatonic scale substitution effect from performing that E minor pentatonic scale under the A minor loop recording.

We could get another cool sounding effect like this if we kept the A minor chord as our jam-track loop and then performed a D minor pentatonic scale over the A minor chord. All the notes are in key and all will work. You just need to practice your feel and phrasing with the new pentatonic.

We could even take things a step further yet, and add a unique non-diatonic tone to the A minor (as an extension) by keeping the A minor chord as our jam-track loop but performing a B minor pentatonic scale over the A minor chord. This is introducing a major 6th interval, (an F# tone). We could highlight this further by changing the A minor loop chord over to an Am6 chord (this includes that maj. 6 interval of F#).

The possibilities are pretty far reaching with this pentatonic position method and practicing this can be a lot of fun to do when composing and improvising. Enjoy this weeks lesson!

The lesson video:

About the Author:
Andrew Wasson is a 1992 Graduate of Hollywood California's Guitar Institute of Technology (G.I.T.). He has operated his Canadian Music School; Creative Guitar Studio, for the last 20+ years teaching thousands of guitarists both in studio sessions, and through his popular YouTube Channels, Skype lessons