Modal Pentatonics (Mixolydian)

Every guitarist knows that Pentatonic scales are a vital resource for creating music in a huge variety of musical styles. Musicians have been employing these five-note devices for centuries in both compositional and improvisational settings to great effect. While there are numerous permutations and variations, the two most common options are the Minor Pentatonic (R- b 3-4-5- b 7) and the Major Pentatonic (R-2-3-5-6). Last time, we explored the jazz potential of the bluesy Minor option; this time we direct our attention towards the Major variety and some of its common variations.

One of the most useful improvisational qualities of both Major and Minor Pentatonic scales is that they avoid completely the most dissonant intervals in music, the maj7 (or b 2) (B-C) and the tritone (C-G b ). In fact, it’s mathematically the only possible combination of five notes available with no semitones or tritones. All that happens if you