Pentatonic scales are used extensively in many different musical styles and have been widely adopted in jazz. Pentatonic scales have a strong independent sound and “it is very easy to perceive them as bitonal elements on top of the harmony” (van de Geyn, 2011, p. 8).
In an instructional video from the 1980s, John Scofield1 discusses his approach to pentatonic scales. The following table summarizes the available inside-sounding options2 according to chord type:
| Chord Type | HVG | HVG | HVG | Scofield |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CMaj7 | A- | E- | B- | C, A-, D, Ddom penta, B- |
| C-7 | G- | C- | C-, G-, D-, | |
| C-Maj7 | D- | |||
| C7(9 13) | A- | C, Cdom , Ddom, G- | ||
| C7alt | Eb- | Eb- | ||
| C7ΓΈ7 | F- | Eb- | Ab dom |
The following is an exercise I designed for intermediate-level students that helps them perform pentatonic major (and their relative minor) scales all over the neck on all four strings in different positions. It’s built around the chords of “Sunny”3, a tune with a melody based solely on minor pentatonic notes but with changing chords.
In the following version in E minor, adhering strictly to the E minor/G major pentatonic scale will create tension on certain chords, but overall strong melodic motion will result. In “The Serious Jazz Book II,” B. Finnerty4 lists similar exercises with arpeggios4 or different cells.
Here is the exercise with piano and bass:
The exercise I uploaded to the MuseScore website with advanced MIDI playback (but no chord playback):