Author Topic: BL-404 • Five Blues Licks Using The Minor Pentatonic Scale - Pattern 1 (Read 9134 times)

Indigo · « **on:** March 04, 2016, 03:20:02 pm »

Lesson Link: http://www.justinguitar.com/en/BL-404-FiveBluesLicksUsingTheMinorPentatonicScale-Pattern1.php

Questions...

gerryo17 · « **Reply #1 on:** August 30, 2016, 01:07:11 am »

What amp settings are you using to get that tone for the Blues Lead course?

Papasmurf · « **Reply #2 on:** September 05, 2016, 10:47:01 pm »

Hello there, I too would be keen to know how to replicate your sound on the blues lead course. I'm using a Fender Mustang v1 amp and PRS SE 245. Many thanks in advance.

Juppstein · « **Reply #3 on:** September 23, 2016, 03:47:04 pm »

Same here. I so ehow got close with a clean AC4 and a Stepping Stone pedal

Look in the forum of the tagboardeffects site. I am not allowed to post external links.

But it is not close enough

Also, anyone know what happend to last weeks lesson video? It was sorely missed

close2u · « **Reply #4 on:** September 23, 2016, 06:21:32 pm »

Attention: this is for questions about the blues licks etc not for those about guitar tone and gear settings.
We do have many areas do discuss gear and tone.
Thanks.

Zarkh · « **Reply #5 on:** October 28, 2016, 12:05:42 pm »

This is probably a weird question, but I am going to ask it anyway:
Justin compares the blues licks to words in a language in his lesson "the blues language"
So what words would these five licks be ?
I have thought about this some time and my guess is, that they might have different meanings in different contexts.
But are there a specific meanings/translations for licks 1-5 like maybe "anger" or "love" or "loneliness" etc.?

stitch101 · « **Reply #6 on:** October 28, 2016, 04:58:28 pm »

Comparing licks to words is the easiest way to introduce you to phrasing. Phrasing is putting
licks together like you put words together to create emotion.

Quote

But are there a specific meanings/translations for licks 1-5 like maybe "anger" or "love" or "loneliness" etc.?

They can be all of the above. Play any lick fast with power or aggression and it will sound angry
Play the same lick softly it could love or kindness. Play the same lick slowly with long bends and
frequent pauses and you have loneliness or pain.
Pick one of the lick you like and can play well and just try it out. Play it to different songs (you must
be in Key wit the song) Stretch it out then play it fast feel what emotions it brings up.

Try putting two different licks together see what it says to you. Does it make you happy or sad.

Dr Winterbourne · « **Reply #7 on:** October 28, 2016, 05:03:46 pm »

I think of lead guitar as a language of emotions rather than words. For example, that Hendrixy lick that has the bend from the D then lands on the C, with a curl. That one has tensions, then through the blue note (more tension) to the E, then the C hits with the relative security of the third. Emotions like that could be an accident that got narrowly avoided, or a taunt that end in a 'just joking, bro.' But you weren't joking.

held21 · « **Reply #8 on:** January 04, 2017, 07:59:07 am »

Hi,
for Lick #5 Justin forgot to mention how to count. Shame on him.

Can anybody help me with that. Looks like two triplets in the middle but I ain´t sure.
Thanks

shadowscott007 · « **Reply #9 on:** January 04, 2017, 10:16:31 am »

1 2 trip let 3 trip 4

Shadow

embishop · « **Reply #10 on:** October 13, 2017, 04:14:45 pm »

For Lick 3 the picking Justin shows for the 2nd and 3rd notes, 5th fret on 2nd then 1st string, is an up pick then a down pick. Then there's a down pick for the last note. The 2nd and 3rd notes seem to fall more naturally into a down then up pick, the opposite, then a down pick for the last note. I know Justin says to learn fingering that works best for you, and there are alternatives, but before I learn the alternate way to what Justin shows is there a reason why up then down makes more sense for this lick?

DarrellW · « **Reply #11 on:** October 13, 2017, 06:53:03 pm »

It depends on how you want it to sound, it you want the second two notes to 'dig in" then it's better to do both down picks, you can control the volume better if they are picked the same direction, the first note being an up pick is easier to make softer.

embishop · « **Reply #12 on:** October 13, 2017, 07:04:41 pm »

Thanks Darrell, that makes total sense. Something else to be aware of.

Omar · « **Reply #13 on:** October 13, 2017, 08:00:24 pm »

Quote from: embishop on October 13, 2017, 04:14:45 pm

For Lick 3 the picking Justin shows for the 2nd and 3rd notes, 5th fret on 2nd then 1st string, is an up pick then a down pick. Then there's a down pick for the last note. The 2nd and 3rd notes seem to fall more naturally into a down then up pick, the opposite, then a down pick for the last note. I know Justin says to learn fingering that works best for you, and there are alternatives, but before I learn the alternate way to what Justin shows is there a reason why up then down makes more sense for this lick?

I tried both ways, down pick on both and the way Justin shows it. When you do it faster you’ll notice that it sounds better when you up pick on E note and then down on A note. Also, E note shouldn’t ring when A note is picked, so the timing difference between up and then down gives more time for E to ring before you roll over to A and mute it. This is my personal observation/interpertation.

embishop · « **Reply #14 on:** October 13, 2017, 09:18:23 pm »

Thanks for those observations, Omar. I need to experiment some more and see what works best when and what sounds best to me when.

fjm · « **Reply #15 on:** February 21, 2018, 08:16:21 pm »

when you use the backing track in lesson 404 do you stay in AMIN PEN or move to the D and E? -Thanks.

Dr Winterbourne · « **Reply #16 on:** March 23, 2018, 02:39:34 pm »

An interesting and useful feature of the minor pentatonic is that the notes work well over all 3 chords of a blues progression. For example, over a D chord, the D note of the A minor pentatonic is obviously the root, so it sounds good, but boring. A is the fifth of D, also good sounding but also pretty safe and bland. C is the flat 7th, safely tasty for blues. G is the 4th, edgy but not too out there, like mass produced goth clothes or a suburban white girl with dreads. It can work in the right context. And the E is the second,, spicy. But McDonalds spicy, not too scary.

With an E chord, the E is the root, the G is the flat third, the A is the fourth, C is a sharp 5 or flat 6 (ooh) and D is the 7th.

For completion, over the A, A is the root, C the flat third, D the 4th, E the 5th and G the flat 7th. All solid choices, which is why they were chosen.

So, just use the A minor pentatonic notes over all the chords - but notice the function and sound of each over a different base chord. I'd recommend using a looper and ears for that. For example, C will sound sad over A, bluesy over D and saucy over E.

What your question implied you are thinking about is covered in the Jazz Up Your Blues course.

stitch101 · « **Reply #17 on:** March 23, 2018, 06:44:48 pm »

Well said and good examples

One tiny mistake in the quoted statement. In the E minor pent the G is the the 3rd
If your talking the E major pent D is the flat 7th

Quote from: Dr Winterbourne on March 23, 2018, 02:39:34 pm

With an E chord, the E is the root, the G is the flat third, the A is the fourth, C is a sharp 5 or flat 6 (ooh) and D is the 7th.

I only bring this up because in your exaple of the D chord you are using the minor pent and in your example of the E chord
you're mixing both the major and minor together.

eric_sh · « **Reply #18 on:** August 04, 2018, 09:43:19 pm »

Hi, I've been working on my bending technique and trying the licks in this lesson. I'm finding the full tone bend on the 8th fret of the #1 string considerably harder than full tone bends on the 8th fret of the second string or the 7th fret of the third string. This is making it hard for me to get the hang of Lick #1.

Is this expected, perhaps due to the tighter stringing of the high E string? Any specific advice, or is it just a matter of continuing to work on it? Would it make sense for me to skip lick #1 and work on the others in the meantime?

Thanks.

DarrellW · « **Reply #19 on:** August 04, 2018, 09:46:58 pm »

How are you doing the bend?
I find that it’s best if you can to use your second or third finger and support it with your first or first and second especially if you want to add vibrato.
You do need to get a lot of practice at it though, your fingers need to be strong and you need to develop the technique.

eric_sh · « **Reply #20 on:** August 05, 2018, 02:40:53 am »

I'm using my third finger with my second as support, as Justin describes in the "Bending Techniques in Blues" lesson. I'm having a much easier time bending the 2nd & 3rd strings using the same technique.

I'll keep plugging away at it.

Thanks.

GururajChadaga · « **Reply #21 on:** December 14, 2020, 04:24:58 pm »

For Licks #2 and #3, I can not understand the timing count given by Justin.
The counting I know of are "1 and 2 and 3 and 4" for 8th notes and "1 e and a 2 e and a 3 e and a 4" for 16th notes.
Here, I hear Justin tell something like "1 flip flip 2 3 4"
Can anyone help out with the timings for #2 and #3?
Thanks!

stitch101 · « **Reply #22 on:** December 14, 2020, 04:30:43 pm »

He's saying 1 trip let. Do a search on the website for lesson BC-155 Triplet Rhythm.

GururajChadaga · « **Reply #23 on:** December 17, 2020, 08:04:54 am »

Quote from: stitch101 on December 14, 2020, 04:30:43 pm

He's saying 1 trip let. Do a search on the website for lesson BC-155 Triplet Rhythm.

I just discovered 8th note triplet and 16th note triplet rhythm.
It makes a lot of sense now!
Thank you!!