pentatonic scale

[Wiley]

Ok, This is probably going to sound rather dumb to most of you.  But I have gotten a guitar lesson cd.  It talks about the pentatonic scale.  You can't play wrong notes.  I got that.  MY ? is They give this progression. g-d-c-c.   It can be played in E Pentatonic,  E mnor,
Or G pentatonic.  So what key is this actually in?  I have a instrument (pan flute) that I want to try to make something up with.  It is tuned in G pentatonic scale. So what key do I actually use to make up a song?  I know I'm a little ignorant, but I want to learn to play at least some kind of guitar and stuff besides bass. And I never heard of a pentatonic scale before.  I know I'm from the dark ages.    Any help would be apreciated.  I just want to come up with a progression that slow and mellow and romantic.  AND to try and build it from scratch on my new BR.

Thanks
P.J.

[Tony]

If you are playing a song in any key (and the song doesn't modulate into another key, that is, it stays in that key) then you can play the minor pentatonic scale on the sixth of that key and it will never sound wrong (making it sound good is another thing).

For example, you are playing in G.  Play a solo from the E minor pentatonic scale (EGABDE) over any chord in the song and it will fit.  The notes in the scale fit any chord in the key.

I don't know how to play pan flute but I'm assuming that by being tuned to G pentatonic you mean that if you play the notes one by one you will play a G Major pentatonic scale (GABDEG).  Now that doesn't fit the scheme at all because it only works with Minor pentatonic scales in major keys.

But all is not lost.  The G Major pentatonic uses the same notes as the E Minor pentatonic.  So if you pretend that the notes on your pan flute play the E minor pentatonic scale (and not the G major) then it should be fine to play over the G major scale.

Long story short:  Play it over songs in G. 

If it doesn't work then it isn't tuned to G major pentatonic and it is probably tuned to G minor pentatonic and you would play that over songs in Bb.

Long story short, second try:  Play it over songs in G and if that doesn't work try it over songs in Bb.

If that doesn't work buy a trumpet, sorry, get back to me with the notes of the pan flute (how many do they have?).

[Wiley]

Wow you lost me, Remember I'm ignorant.  But the notes on the flute are gabdegabde  10 notes.  So I can use just a key of g thing ?   Like starting IN G  go to c  and d then bakc to g?  In any old song those are the 3 main chords in G.  So I get I can just use key of G  Ok?

[Tony]

Everything is good.  Just use it for songs in G.

What I was talking about was playing melodies, riffs, soloing, etc. but I don't think you are going to get any chords out of it.  But anything you play on it should sound right anywhere in a song in G. 

[Wiley]

Thanks a lot and oh by the way I did buy a coronet 2 weeks ago fpr just $25.00  Wait till I learn a song on that!!  I can practice the pentatonic scale. 

[AlchemyMN]

I just want to come up with a progression that slow and mellow and romantic.  AND to try and build it from scratch on my new BR.

As far as chord progrssions, try using this table to come up with some cool combinations that you can solo over.

Here's the table from Piston's "Harmony", third edition, page 18:
I is followed by IV or V, sometimes vi, less often ii or iii.
ii is followed by V, sometimes VI, less often I, iii,, or IV.
iii is followed by VI,  sometimes IV, less often ii or V.
IV is followed by V, sometimes I or ii, less often iii or vi.
V is followed by I, sometimes VI or IV, less often iii or ii.
vi is followed by ii or V, sometimes  ii or IV, less often I.
VII is followed by iii, sometimes I.

Key of G:
G-Am-Bm-C-D-Em-F#dim-G
I-ii-iii-IV-V-vi-vii-I

Your G major pentatonic or E minor pentatonic will be a place to start for melodies, but you might need all the notes in key and others in parallel keys to get a great melody.  If you stick with the I-IV-V chords, the pentatonic will be OK.

Some common 4-bar progressions:
Progression            Song Example   
e.g. in the key of G major

I   IV   V(7)   IV      "Twist and Shout"   
G   C   D(7)   C

I   IV   I   V      "Brown Eyed Girl"   
G   C   G   D

I   V   IV   V      "Wonderful Tonight"
G   D   C   D

I   vi   IV   V (7)      "Runaround Sue"   
G   Em   C   D(7)
               "Last Kiss"
I   ii   V (7)   I            
G   Am   D(7)   G

I   ii   IV   V (7)            
G   Am   C   D(7)

I   vi   ii   V (7)            
G   Em   Am   D(7)

I   iii   ii   V            
G   Bm   Am   D

I   iii   vi   V            
G   Bm   Em   D

I   bIII   bVII   IV      basic "rock" pattern
G   Bb   F   C

[Tony]

That's extremely useful stuff that AlchemyMN has put up.  It's the building blocks or the grammar of rock 'n' roll. 

What I meant about not getting chords out out of the pan flute is that if the layout of the notes is as you described then chords don't come from the layout (as, say, on a harmonica).  Just begin with either the root note of the chord for each change in the progression, or start to pick out melodies by following your ear.  If you want to blow three note chords, I don't see how it can be done from that layout.  You don't need 'em anyway, you have a guitar for that job.

[Kody]

That's great!....... I've been in Music Theory class for awhile now, and was starting to think real musicians didn't use that crap! I read you loud and clear man!

We learned today that the best or most common relation of chords "according to our professor" is:

I-IV-Vii-III-VI-ii-V-I

He made us memorize it- I haven't given much thought yet- I like your reference man!

[Greeny]

This may as well be written in Chinese. I have no idea what you're all talking about 

Sounds impressive though.

I know nothing except what sounds right / good to my ears. It's not a bad place to start 

[Flash Harry]

One little thing that I'd like to add is that every major key has an associated minor key.

C major has it equivalent in A minor. Three notes down, the same is true for every key.