Exercises

Let's get some pentatonics under our fingers and in our ears! In this section I'm going to play some of these for you and then give you a chance to play them also.

For Beginners

  • Listen to how I am phrasing the lines and articulating them. The swing sound is NOT forced. Please use the video below marked For Beginners as the tempo is slower.
  • If the range is too high; play it down an octave. But, at least try to attempt them :)
  • Need a challenge? Try the next tempo!

For Intermediate Players

  • Play through the exercises on the video marked For Intermediate and find the ones you like the most.
  • Play them again. Then try and change them slightly to make them your own.
  • Need a challenge? Try your own over the next tempo!

For Advanced Players

  • Play through the exercises on the video marked For Advanced.
  • Play them again. Then try and change them to make them your own.
  • See if you can freely create your own pentatonic lines, but make sure they target (end) on either the root, 3rd, or 5th!


2019 Key of C Pentatonic Targets.pdf
2019 Key of C Pentatonic Targets for Bb Inst.pdf
2019 Key of C Pentatonic Targets for Eb Inst.pdf
2019 Key of C Pentatonic Targets for Bass Clef.pdf

Great job!

You now should be able to comfortably play some of these in Concert C. The next step, and the one that most player's tend to skip, is to play it in a few more keys.

After C, I would suggest you try these with the videos above in concert

  • Ab (Bb for B-flat instruments and F for E-flat instruments)
  • Eb (F for B-flat instruments and C for E-flat instruments)
  • G (A for B-flat instruments and E for E-flat instruments)
  • E (F# for B-flat instruments and C# for E-flat instruments)

Why?

Because we're going to put it into context with the key areas of All the Things You Are.

Advanced Players

  • Work out the key area's V-chord pentatonics too. I'll be using them in my example on the next lecture.


Complete and Continue