most melodic pentatonic guys

[milracing]

Heh
So I was thinking about all the endless 'noodleing' out ther, myself included, centered around minor pentatonics (isnt there even a term 'pentatonic rut?).
But some guys really make it work and are Super melodic.... wait for it... I'm gonna drop the name again (Angus..). Who else do ya think really shines at that?
Mainly I'm trying to expand my horizons. I'm getting better at it actually. Some Dorian really seems to work and blend nicely into the 'rut' without sounding to contrived. I would love to figure out some of the Eric Johnson licks, you know the one descending run that seems to be his trademark..., but its much too fast for me to take apart at this point. Need to buy a gizmo to slow it down maybe ;)
Cheers!

[goldtopper]

Dickey Betts six note pentatonic is the most melodious to my ears.

[Ns10Fan]

I'm a big fan of Paul Gilbert's use of the pentatonic. He's one of the few shredders I've heard who seems to actually like the basics. Real melodic work (once you come to terms with his disturbing speed).

[ACK75]

Ace Frehley.

Marty Freidman said it best about Ace, "Ace's solos are so melodic and structured so well you could hear the solo without any backing tracks and instantly know which song it's from."

[Charlie Bernstein]

B.B!

[igorBG]

For me it's Eric Clapton in his long live solos, and the way he slowly builds melody and tension from small and ordinary pentatonic pieces

[jazztele]

neil young

[kelnet]

Tommy Castro does some nice things in his blues solos. He seems to play vocal lines rather than just fast patterns and groupings.

[wangdangdoodle]

John Coltrane

[Geoff738]

Mick Taylor.

Cheers,
Geoff

[octatonic]

Scott Henderson gets the award for pentatonic soloing that sounds most like a sax player playing 'outside'.
I've seen him explain it at a masterclass and slapped myself on the forehead.
I won't say what he does is easy but it is a lot simpler than you might think.

Great phrasing and rhythmic invention- in the Coltrane/Brecker tradition.

[DMace]

DAVID GILMORE!

[bassbuster33]

Michael Schenker for me.

[MTguitar]

Originally Posted by Geoff738

Mick Taylor.

Cheers,
Geoff

dat's what I was gonna say. whenever I think of how much can be done on so few pentatonic notes, I think of the Dead Flowers solo.

[klasaine]

McCoy Tyner.

Most modern Jazz guys - 1963 and forward - are HEAVY on the pentatonics. They just use them in not so obvious ways.

Robben Ford and Larry Carlton are super pentatonic.

[kelnet]

Originally Posted by DMace

DAVID GILMORE!

It's funny, but I never think of Gilmour as a pentatonic soloist. His solos usually seem more complex than that.

[RevBFGfan]

Billy Gibbons does a lot of nice pent work

[Geoff738]

Originally Posted by kelnet

It's funny, but I never think of Gilmour as a pentatonic soloist. His solos usually seem more complex than that.

But he is, I think.

I was gonna mention him too, even though I'm not really a Floyd fan.

But, i suppose I'm not really well enough versed in what he does to comment further.

Other than to say that I do like his playing and the couple (literally) of lead things of his that I've played about with have been squarely within the pentatonic box (pun kinda, sorta intended).

Regardless, I like his playing.

Cheers,
Geoff

[Geoff738]

I'm just gonna add - it's the guys that know when and how to add the notes that are outside the strict pentatonic "box" that really bring it to life.

Cheers,
Geoff

[supernewt]

Gilmour throws in that 4th a lot, so is he really pentatonic?

Frampton throws in that, is it mixolydian, what, flat 7th or a 9th? Notwithstanding my lack of technical knowledge, he's a master in my opinion, underrated because he was so pretty.

[JayFreddy]

I dunno about "most", but I always thought this was pretty:

[Pinball_Wizard]

While I'm know huge Kiss fan. Ace Frehley is right on the money for melodic w/ pentatonic. his solos are all melodically catching to a ridiculous extent.

...it's like he's from outer space.

Billy Gibbons is amazing melodic as well,

[the embezzler]

Originally Posted by DMace

DAVID GILMORE!

+1, although he's all about playing off the chord shape/arpeggio in some ways.

[Larry F]

The trick to playing non-wankerly in the minor penatonic is to use a technique called gap fill. Whenever you create a leap, you follow it with a step in the opposite direction. Remember that the minor third in the pentatonic counts as a step.

Guys who use this successfully are Freddy King (nothing but pent), Albert King (also nothing but pent), and SRV. Mick Taylor uses a lot of 2nds and 6ths, as does BB and even Clapton now.

The key is to never go more than two steps in one direction without either repeating a note (a la Freddy King), rocking back and forth on two notes separated by a gap (a la Albert King), changing direction, or using gap-fill. Playing a series of steps in the penta is the kiss of death.

[hedegaardo1]

For me it's just Rory Gallagher ! :)

and if it's just about being melodic and not necessarily in pentatonic scales John Frusciante is my greatest idol .. a little offtopic sorry :b

[JayFreddy]

Originally Posted by Larry F

Playing a series of steps in the penta is the kiss of death.

I agree about using gaps, but "kiss of death"??? Don't you think that's a bit overstated? T-Bone Walker and Charlie Christian both made scalar pentatonics work for them. Wait a minute... They're both dead! Maybe you're onto something?!

[milracing]

Originally Posted by Larry F

The trick to playing non-wankerly in the minor penatonic is to use a technique called gap fill. Whenever you create a leap, you follow it with a step in the opposite direction. Remember that the minor third in the pentatonic counts as a step.

Guys who use this successfully are Freddy King (nothing but pent), Albert King (also nothing but pent), and SRV. Mick Taylor uses a lot of 2nds and 6ths, as does BB and even Clapton now.

The key is to never go more than two steps in one direction without either repeating a note (a la Freddy King), rocking back and forth on two notes separated by a gap (a la Albert King), changing direction, or using gap-fill. Playing a series of steps in the penta is the kiss of death.

"non-wankerly" Love it!

[Michael T]

Dickie Betts' 6 note pentatonic? But penta is 5!!!! I know what you're saying, though....it's the extra notes you add to the pentatonic to give it a mixolydian, dorian, etc flavour.

[Guitarsmurf]

Well, if your question is "melodic" as opposed to the same old blueslicks (nothing wrong with those btw), I'd say Carl Verheyen!

[winny pooh]

Gilmour is the greatest!

[ryokan]

Sonny Sharrock http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-6X-au2E4cw

[Budda]

I like a lot of the players already mentioned. But, I would add:

Mark Knopfler
Sonny Rollins (Check out the C Maj. Pent. Solo on the Rolling Stones' "Waiting On A Friend").

[Budda]

As far as getting out of a Pentatonic Rut, you might try this:

Try recording a simple chord progression to practice over. Record about 5 minutes of it. 

Start on any single string, and play 1 note over every chord in the progression. Start at the nut, or lowest pitch of the string, that has a chord tone. Work your way to the top of the fretboard, and then work your way back down. 

EX. Over this progression Em7 Am7 D7 GM7 

I'll "play" this all on the skinny E string. 

Chord tones: 

Em7 = E G B D 

Am7 = A C E G 

D7 = D F# A C 

GM7 = G B D F# 

Single String Chord Tone Exercise 
Playing chord tones over the changes, 1 note per chord. 

Working up a single string, and then back down. 

--0---|-3---|-5----|-7----|-10--|-12---|-14--|-15--|-19--|-20---|-17---- 
-------|-----|------|------|------|------|------|------|------|------|------- 
-------|-----|------|------|------|------|------|------|------|------|------- 
-------|-----|------|------|------|------|------|------|------|------|------- 
-------|-----|------|------|------|------|------|------|------|------|------- 
-------|-----|------|------|------|------|------|------|------|------|------- 
   Em7 Am7  D7   GM7   Em7   Am7   D7    GM7  Em7  Am7   D7 

-|-15---|-12---|-8----|-5----|-3----|-0----|---------------------------------- 
-|-------|------|------|-------|------|------|---------------------------------- 
-|-------|------|------|-------|------|------|---------------------------------- 
-|-------|------|------|-------|------|------|---------------------------------- 
-|-------|------|------|-------|------|------|---------------------------------- 
-|-------|------|------|-------|------|------|---------------------------------- 
   GM7   Em7   Am7     D7   GM7   Em7 etc.


Next step: Repeat this on each string, over the same chord changes. 


Then: 2 chord tones per measure/chord. Then 3, then 4. 

Once you can comfortably play 4 note per measure/chord, move to 2 chords per measure, and start over. 

Still, stay on 1 string, at a time. Once you feel really comfortable on single strings, over MANY chord progressions, then move to 2 string playing. And repeat.


See, I often find myself "noodling" through chord changes. Playing scalar runs, etc. 

But, you need to form melodic "lines", and get to a point. So, chord-tones are a great way to develop a melodic direction. 

Call and response type playing. Finishing a phrase on a scale tone that's not a chord-tone will usually sound un-resolved. Finishing on a chord-tone, usually sounds like a resolution. 

By eliminating all non-chord-tones, you start to "hear" and "see", the choice "target" notes. (Please excuse my over use of quotation marks!). 

This is much more challenging, for me. So, I've incorporated these types of exercises into my practice sessions. Sometimes, it actually comes out in my playing, without my trying. Those are nice moments. Eventually, I'd love to be able to naturally do this. 

Still working on it, though!

[Jeffscreamedcorn]

Originally Posted by goldtopper

Dickey Betts six note pentatonic is the most melodious to my ears.

If it has 6 notes, it in not pentatonic

[stevieboy]

Originally Posted by Jeffscreamedcorn

If it has 6 notes, it is not pentatonic

So true! In my experience of learning from the recordings of well known blues guitarists, very few of them stick mainly to the minor pentatonic or any other pentatonic scale. Some of the time but certainly not anywhere near all of the time. Time to call in the Mythbusters!

[Markl8]

Originally Posted by Larry F

The trick to playing non-wankerly in the minor penatonic is to use a technique called gap fill. Whenever you create a leap, you follow it with a step in the opposite direction. Remember that the minor third in the pentatonic counts as a step.

Guys who use this successfully are Freddy King (nothing but pent), Albert King (also nothing but pent), and SRV. Mick Taylor uses a lot of 2nds and 6ths, as does BB and even Clapton now.

The key is to never go more than two steps in one direction without either repeating a note (a la Freddy King), rocking back and forth on two notes separated by a gap (a la Albert King), changing direction, or using gap-fill. Playing a series of steps in the penta is the kiss of death.

Man that pearl of wisdom right there lit every lightbulb in my head at once.

[boneyguy]

Originally Posted by goldtopper

Dickey Betts six note pentatonic is the most melodious to my ears.

I'd say that if Dickey Betts can play a pentatonic scale that has 6 notes in it he has been taking guitar lessons from Stephen Hawking at the Quantum Physics School of Music. I mean, that can't be easy.

[warmingtone]

"Gap Fill"...I've not heard of this term, but a fabulous tip.

This kind of thing is taught when learning to write good melodies, but I wouldn't want to take this too literally, else you start sounding one two steps up, one step back.

Remember that the minor third in the pentatonic counts as a step.

This is something that you don't hear that often explained, I'll be thinking even more on this than I already have. The pentatonic "scale" consists entirely of major 2nd and minor 3rd intervals, it is what gives it it's pentatonic sound. Doesn't mean you can't play 'largely' pentatonic and throw in a few passing notes or the odd chord tone (or even jazz like extension) here and there, especially if the pentatonics seem to feel restrictive.

Chord tones and target tones are also important.

Having some kind of "plan" seems to be important, it does need to be "detailed" or "prepared" in advance, just when things start to sound "noodling" or you feel like you are just going through the motions, think where you are and a little forward to where the tune is going.

Another thing is to keep the tunes melody, or even 'write your own' melodic scheme for the solo in mind.

If not a 'grand plan'...most greats have a sense of phrasing. If you play something, think of how you will answer that, and leave space for things to breath and hear what you play as a 'statement' or phrase.

...

Pentatonics can sound great, they form the backbone of a lot of tunes, sometimes exclusively. I love the sound still and the possibilities...sometimes restricting the note choices forces creativity in other areas!

Have a look at a tune like Linda Ronstadt's "It's too late"...entirely Em pentatonic. You can see even though there are some big leaps in there, they conform to the "gap fill" idea...good call there!

...

I don't really like the idea of "most" melodic player competitions...however...

I'll throw in Hendrix on a good day.

I've always loved the solo from "wind crys mary" for instance...there are so many things to look at there, but the first part is entirely pentatonic major and "lyrical", sounds bluesy despite the major penta commonly associated with a "country" sound. Lovely nods to the harmony despite the major penta lacking the root of the IV chord. And the "solo" sounds like a whole new tune within a tune (even the chord sequence is 'turned around' to accomodate it)...stunning!

But even things like 'watchtower' displays his ability to sense "melody" as a soloist.

...

Mixing pentatonics, either major and minor (much like a guy like Page) or overlaying different pentatonics (like a henderson) can give a great boost to note choices, but the pentatonic has still got a lot to offer musically.

[Donnie55]

My fave thing about the minor pentatonic , is the relative minor. Until I discovered that I stayed away from soloing in major keys.

[Maxwell Street]

Clapton.....Mick Taylor