1/6/06

Pentatonic lines- navigating outside tonal harmony

Here are some nice pentatonic lines from Reno Stefano.
Pentatonic patterns allow for the construction of very open and modern sound lines. Many modern Jazz players use pentatonics as a way to move back and forth from inside to outside. Since there are fewer notes to deal with you gain more control of tonality when moving outside.
Players like Woody Shaw, Freddie Hubbard, and McCoy Tyner have mastered this technique. Raymon Ricker's Pentatonic Sclas for Jazz Improvisation is the best book on pentatonics that I've seen. Ramon maps out how far outside each pentatonic is in relation to a single chord. For example when played over a major seventh chord, the pentatonic from the forth is much more inside than the pentatonic off the seventh. The pentatonic a whole step up is somewhere between these other two.

If you move outside or inside in increments your playing will have more direction and internal logic. George Russell also teaches this type of outside harmonic navigation. Inside and outside are to be thought of in incremental stages rather than an either/or situation. As long as you're movin 'inward' or 'outward' you're creating forward motion, even though you've left traditional tonal harmonic resolution in the dust. The ear still hears harmonic motion, though it is of a different sort. Jerry Bergonzi's pentatonic book is also helpful and thorough.

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