Any Guitar Heads in the House, I need help with the Pentatonic Scale

[BallsOut]

So I'm reading the fretboard theory book on the pentatonic scale chapter 2, because I've been wanting to learn about the theory behind playing guitar. I now understand how to form the 5 shapes for the pentatonic scale forwards and backwards.

The author says the pentatonic scale is used in a lot of popular music and provides a tabbed song example that uses the E minor/G major pentatonic scale: Hymn - Amazing Grace

The riff part of the song:

Amazing grace how sweet the sound that saved a wretched like
me I once was lost but now am
found was blind but now I see

is pretty much tabbed to these notes:

D G B G B A G E D D G B G B A
D B D D B G D E G G E
D D G B G B A G

The book states the notes of the E minor/G major pentatonic scale are: E-G-A-B-D, and I can see that each of these notes are used in the above tabbed riff.

But how in the world did the guitarist that wrote the riff for this song come up with such a sequence of notes? It's not in the same order as E-G-A-B-D. Is there any sort of pattern to the notes? Did he just randomly pull it out of his ass? Am I missing something?




Help ISH brohems..

[dr.hee]

Did he just randomly pull it out of his ass?

Probably. I'm not sure I understand your question though.

Anyway...pentatonic shapes are underrated. Just sayin.

[LJJ]

The book states the notes of the E minor/G major pentatonic scale are: E-G-A-B-D, and I can see that each of these notes are used in the above tabbed riff.

But how in the world did the guitarist that wrote the riff for this song come up with such a sequence of notes? It's not in the same order as E-G-A-B-D. Is there any sort of pattern to the notes? Did he just randomly pull it out of his ass? Am I missing something?

A scale doesn't have anything to do with the order of the notes, a scale simply refers to the notes used.

[YouGotServed]

[cuad]

Just play random notes on the scale til you hear two or three notes in a row that sound nice and then build on it. Play around with sliding and bending once you have a handful of notes.

[BallsOut]

A scale doesn't have anything to do with the order of the notes, a scale simply refers to the notes used.

Okay, I can dig that, but how did that guitarist come up with such a sequence of notes using the pentatonic scale then?

Basically, I'm trying to see if there's a certain strategy to take to come up with my own riffs.

If the guy is just sitting there stringing together random notes of the scale all day, how is that a reliable method? It seems like brute force trying hundreds of combinations and wishing/waiting for a miracle to happen...

[Overdrive]

You basically have "home coming" notes, which are the perfect notes of the scales in case of the e minor it's e-a-b and of G major g and d, since there's no perfect 4th. Any riff that takes you to any of those notes will sound "good".
The note in the end gives away the scale - if minor or major - in most cases.

Doesn't matter where it starts and what's in between aslong as it ends where it should. You basically can leave the pentatonic inbetween, play chromatic runs etc.

If you want to put emphasis on a note repeat it, let it ring, vibrate, etc,etc

[dr.hee]

Okay, I can dig that, but how did that guitarist come up with such a sequence of notes using the pentatonic scale then?

Basically, I'm trying to see if there's a certain strategy to take to come up with my own riffs.

If the guy is just sitting there stringing together random notes of the scale all day, how is that a reliable method? It seems like brute force trying hundreds of combinations and wishing/waiting for a miracle to happen...

Amazing Grace isn't a "riff" some guitarist pulled out of his ass. It's a hymn that has been around for centuries. And it probably originated like most simple songs...someone just had an idea.

When you're talking about coming up with your own "riffs", are you referring to chord progressions, song melodies or soloing ideas?