Improvisation: Shuffle in E

[rjdupe]

Hi Charlie and all,
This may be one Charlie can answer, or other answers welcome.

If I am say playing a basic shuffle in and built around E major, ( E Maj, A Maj, B7 type sequence) can I use an E minor pentatonic scale to improvise around this for a lead solo. I then assume that all the positions of the pentatonic scale can then be used and repeated on the 12th fret. Can the blues note ( I think it is a flattened fifth) be put into the scale. (I am trying to get a feel for what fits!)
I am a little confused, as you probably can see from this note, but I am sure with the vast knowledge on this forum someone can indicate if my thoughts are correct.

All the best,
Robert

[Charlie Hall]

Hi Robert,
I am not too well up on music theory with pentatonic scales etc. as I play by ear only.
I think a minor note (G in the key of E) is part of the pentatonic scale in E so it should work for what you have in mind. As with almost any scales what works well will also depend on the other notes relative to it. This will also apply with a flattened 5th (Bb) which I can only imagine working well with a B note after it. Or there is also the opening guitar part of That'll Be The day, which includes a flattened 5th as part of the sequence of notes, although in the key of A in the best known version (the first version was in E).
I think the trick is finding what notes go well with each other, with some thought behind it, probably almost any note could be made to work!
If anyone can break rules, I would be most likely to as I don't know the rules anyway, however, I do usually have an ear for what sounds right and what doesn't, the difficulty for me is explaining why.
If you haven't seen the post I made of Billy Gibbons in the tuition section, have a look, it is well worth studying for what you have in mind.
Regards,
Charlie

[rjdupe]

Thanks Charlie, I have looked at the Billy Gibbons and will study it in more detail.
The backing track I am trying to improvise on is shown below. I am experimenting!

Kind regards,

Robert

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0NzxjC_vCw

[olemuso]

Page 1 of "The Olemuso Book Of Music" states; "The first rule of music is that there are no rules"
If it feels right it is right

[malcolmv]

On the same Youtube page (related videos) there is a lesson on the pentatonic scale in E which, with different inflection, would fit for the E chords - then move to A and B transposing the original riff... worth a try.