The last time we posted we discussed methods for adding the Aeolian scale to your pentatonic that were easy and how to apply your new knowledge of scales. As you may recall, the Aeolian scale a naturally occurring minor scale. It is a fact that minor scale and chords give music a darker and sadder tone.

We will now discuss the Dorian scale, which will allow you to incorporate a happier feel. This scale can be used in funk, jazz, and major based chord progressions. I truly enjoy using this over good jump blues or using it to put some new kick into some funk music.

It is important to understand that you do not have to give up what you already know, simply add these to your repertoire.

When you continue to use a pentatonic base and add these new modes, you will discover you have a lot more flexibility and spice in your playing style.

A good song to listen to the Dorian in use is Black Magic Women by Santana. You may even want to listen to Planet Caravan by Toni Lommi.

With this in mind, let’s discuss the key of A.

Below you will find an A Minor pentatonic scale:

In order to keep this post short, I am only going to discuss the D, G, B, and high E strings. You can play the other strings as octaves of these notes.

E|——————————-5-8—————————–|

B|————————-5-8———————————–|
G|——————-5-7—————————————–|
D|————-5-7———————————————–|
A|—————————————————————-|
E|—————————————————————-|

A closer look at the Dorian Scale:

Do incorporate this scale, you only need to add 3 notes to the pentatonic scale above.

E|———————————–5-(7)-8———————|
B|————————-5-(7)-8——————————-|
G|——————-5-7—————————————–|
D|———(4)-5-7———————————————-|
A|—————————————————————-|
E|—————————————————————-|

A note in brackets are the added notes.

When you add all the notes together, the scale will look like this:

E|——————————– -5-7-8———————–|

B|————————-5-7-8——————————–|
G|——————-5-7—————————————-|
D|———–4-5-7———————————————|
A|—————————————————————|
E|—————————————————————|

Now you can solo just like always, only now you have new notes to use as passing tones, which will allow you to rock with new modes that only took a short time to learn.

Commonly used in today’s modern world of contemporary music are two modes of the major scale. Sometimes these modes can seem quite difficult to grasp. Have no fear, though, because you have come to just the right place!

If you learn to include them as you play your guitar, soon you will find that playing them can be easy and enjoyable.

Of course, anyone who plays regularly understands that your greatest solos are derived from the pentatonic scale. Well, jazz and classical hard-cases may disagree … and we’ll let them be wrong! Simple fact!

It seems that as people reach and intermediate guitar playing ability, they tend to look for some cool riffs away from the pentatonic scale. This is a mistake.

Just like ripples in a pond, so it is with intertwining music. You need not look away from the pentatonic scale to play new music. It’s simply not necessary.

In this blog, I’ll explain the two most frequently played modes. I’ll go into more detail about the Aeolian here, and save the Dorian for part 2. I’ll show you that you can pick up these pentatonic scales in no time, and with minimal effort, to start incorporating them immediately into your style of play.

Branching out into a more dynamic and compelling sound is a piece of cake as long as the pentatonic remains as your true center.

We’ll begin now with the A key.

Let’s take a look at the pentatonic A Miner scale -

E|——————————-5-8—————————–|
B|————————-5-8———————————–|
G|——————-5-7—————————————–|
D|————-5-7———————————————–|
A|——-5-7—————————————————–|
E|-5-8———————————————————–|

In the interest of simplicity for this blog, I’ll go over strings G, B, and high E. All the other strings will play off these note’s octaves anyway.

E|——————————-5-8—————————–|
B|————————-5-8———————————–|
G|——————-5-7—————————————–|
D|—————————————————————-|
A|—————————————————————-|
E|—————————————————————-|

So, we begin by taking a deeper look at the modes – the first one of course being the Aeolian. Many musicians see it as the normal minor scale. We’re going to simplify things even further buy utilizing the pentatonic.

We’re just going to put in three new note to the pentatonic scale shown above.

E|——————————-5-(7)-8————————|
B|————————-5-(6)-8——————————|
G|——————(4)-5-7————————————-|
D|—————————————————————-|
A|—————————————————————-|
E|—————————————————————-|

Notice that the new notes are shown in brackets.

Now, by playing all these notes in unison, you attain this scale:

E|———————————–5-7-8———————–|
B|—————————5-6-8——————————-|
G|——————4-5-7—————————————-|
D|—————————————————————-|
A|—————————————————————-|
E|—————————————————————-|

So play your solo as you usually do, but now try the new notes mixed in as passing tones. You see … now you’re rockin’ out with modes without hardly any effort at all.

The ultimate superstar in making this scale work fantastically is David Gilmour. He displays how it applies famously to any rock music built in minor.

I still remember the day I made the decision that I was going to play guitar for the rest of my life. I was 11, flipping through the TV stations, and came across the Stevie Ray Vaughn PBS special.

When I heard Voodoo Child Slight return for the first time, I locked myself in my room for the next year, armed with nothing more than an $8 acoustic I got at a garage sale.

I learned the hard way. Hours a day, with my cassette player; listening, stopping, figuring out a note, hit play again, stop, rewind, figure out the next note, and so on.

I grew up dirt poor and couldn’t afford guitar lessons. At that time, $80 a month (the average for guitar lessons) was not even an option.

I justified my position by saying that I don’t need a guitar teacher showing me how to play like him, I’ll play the way I want to play!

And I was an idiot.

There was nothing I loved more than the guitar. Blues, Rock, Jazz, anything that I could listen to and get some emotion, and one thing that I know is true, if you love something you need to invest everything you have into it.

I used to say with pride that I was self taught, and that I could play by ear. However,  after almost two decades of playing, if I could give people just one piece of advice it would be TAKE FREAKIN’ LESSONS!

I used to spend 8 hours a day, 7 days a week trying to figure stuff out, and it wasn’t until a year and a half later when I started to play in bands that everything clicked.

You’ll learn more in one hour jamming then you will in a year and a half of isolated practice, and that’s a fact. Why should you spend hours a day trying to “figure stuff out”, when you could have someone that knows how to play show you the exact same thing in 5 minutes?

Also, the 2nd biggest piece of advice I would give is to always, always, always invest into jam tracks. Like I said, you can learn more in an hour jamming, then years of  ‘running scales’.

I never could afford lessons, and now with the internet that’s not even an issue anymore. You can get world class training from some of the industries best teachers for less than the cost of ONE conventional lesson. That’s crazy!

So if you wanna be a great guitar player fast, then I would highly suggest checking out Jamorama. You can download a free lesson, but the thing I love is that you have world class teaching, and some of the best jam tracks I’ve ever heard in one place.

If you want a complete guide to playing guitar fast, then you will not be disappointed!