Escaping a Pentatonic Rut With Chord Tones

Escaping a pentatonic rut does not require discarding the minor pentatonic scale. Keep it as the framework, then add chord tones, melodic phrasing and expression. Over a 12 bar blues, land on notes from each chord as the harmony changes so the solo follows the progression.

Chord tones in 12 bar blues

The approach draws on the melodic blues playing of B.B. King, Peter Green and Stevie Ray Vaughan. First, listen to the backing track and locate each chord change. In an A blues, the I, IV and V chords are A7, D7 and E7.

Divide the progression into smaller sections. Start by targeting each chord root on beat one, either bending into it from a whole step below or using a hammer on. Then build a short motif that moves between A7 and D7, giving the solo a phrase you can repeat and develop.

Chord tones are the notes contained in the current chord. A7 contains A, C sharp, E and G, while D7 contains D, F sharp, A and C. During bars five through eight, follow D7 for two bars and A7 for two bars rather than running the same scale shape across both chords.

The A blues scale adds E flat, the flat fifth, to A, C, D, E and G. Treat E flat as a passing blue note instead of a resting note. Repetition can strengthen a phrase before it resolves through chord tone double stops.

For a swing or jump blues sound, target the sixth over each chord. Play F sharp over A7 and B over D7, with the option of bending B into C, the flat seventh of D7.

Bends through the turnaround

Accurate bends into and out of chord tones make a phrase sound more lyrical. Listen closely to the pitch of every sustained bend. Double stop bends and vocal like vibrato can also give the opening phrase a firm statement without adding more notes.

For the final four bars, outline E7 for one bar and D7 for one bar. Across the last two bars, play A7, D7, A7 and E7 for two beats each. Use few notes, repeat a clear phrase and pitch each bend carefully as the chords pass.

(Via: Guitar World)