Today is about having fun, using double stops from the minor pentatonic.

If necessary, remind yourself which notes are tensions.

Practice suggestions

There’s no right or wrong here.  Just enjoy it.

Double stops

Below are the available double stops on the 5th and 4th strings, for E minor pentatonic.  There are four double stops, one of these using the notes at fret 5 on both the 5th and 4th strings.  Click the image to enlarge.

• Which double stops hold tension notes?
• Which double stops don’t hold tension notes?  (Hint: there is only one)

• Play occasional long notes for the tonic, 1, on the open E string.
• Play the most tense double stop (4, b7) at the 12th fret, followed by successively less tense double stops but don’t end on the (5,1) double stop at fret 2, to leave the tension slightly present.
• As above, but finish with the (5,1) double stop at fret 2.  Does that sound like your “home” from your musical excursion?
• Reverse this idea.  Start with the most stable, lease tense (or rtaher, no tension) double stop (5,1) and successively slide to more tense double stops.
• Choose any double stop, and slide to the nearest double stop, slowly, while the open E is ringing (if you want).
• Mix it up as you like, and choose if you want to leave the listener hanging (tension) or not.

 

Next time

Don’t rush making use of today’s info.  Spend time.  Howe can you apply emphasis in different ways, especially rhythmically.  Next, we’ll start to look at how the minor pentatonic can be used to create very different sounds in a different musical context.  Have fun until then!!