8/9/2019 Theory Tips

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Quick Theory Tips

Goal: To use a concept you are really familiar with to gain some new theory knowledge, and also tounderstand how to handle terminology you might encounter in jam situations.

Things to know & Things to have: Minor Pentatonic scale (standard position), where the root note

is and either the notes on the low E string or a fretboard diagram with the notes.

The Situation: You are in a jam situation and someone says, “We are playing in the key of (insert anykey here).” What do you do? How do you act? Some people's ears are good enough so that they can justfind the appropriate scale. This is great when you are first learning, but it will soon look like amateurhour if you constantly do this. So what do you do …? 

Questions you need to ask yourself:1. Does it sound bluesy? 

Solution: If so then your standard root position minor pentatonic scale will work from thesame root note of the key that the song is in. (Ex., We are in the key of A....use A minorpentatonic).

2. Does it sound minor (dark sounding)? Solution: Will be the same as above- just use the root note of the song that you are in. In thiscase you have an added benefit because no one should ever say we are jamming in the key of A and all the while mean A minor. They are two fundamentally different keys and sounds.(Ex., We are jamming in the Key of C#minor... use C#minor pentatonic).

3.  Does it sound it sound differently than 1 or 2, and not fit into a category? Solution: Find the root note of the key mentioned on the low E string then move back 3 fretsfrom that root note and play a minor pentatonic scale. You can also move up 4 frets from the

root note mentioned. (Ex., We are jamming in the key of C. You find C on the low E string (8th

fret) and move back 3 frets and play a minor pentatonic. You get A minor pentatonic on the 5 th

fret. Now, return to that C note on the 8 th fret and move up 4 frets. In this case you get E minorpentatonic on the 12th fret.

Things to Remember:

• Minor blues scales are interchangeable with minor pentatonic scales. They just have a different

character from each other.

• If you find a situation where you are doing example 3 above and you end up way high on the

fret board you can just move that scale an octave lower.

Try These:

  Jamming in the key of Bminor... sounds minor (Solution: )  Jamming in the key of D... doesn't sound minor or bluesy (Solution: )  Jamming in the key of B... doesn't sound minor or bluesy (Solution: )  Jamming in the key of E... sounds bluesy (Solution: )  Jamming in the Key of C#minor... sounds minor (Solution: )