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One of the biggest problems I have with just about every
blues instructional book is the way the fingering for Pentatonic Scales is
taught. The fingering seems to be geared toward an intellectual or
theoretical understanding of the layout of the scales, and not a musical,
practical, or useful one.
What do I mean? Well, let's look at Scale # 1, which is on P. 10 of this book. The fingering is given thus:
This fingering, where 4 is used 3 frets away from 1, is logical, if we consider the spacing of the frets, and the layout of the notes on the neck. But, except for the note on the 6th string, it is not useful when it comes to actually playing music based on the scale! This is because the notes on the 2nd and 1st string are very often going to be bent, and the 3rd finger is used for bending. (Yes, I know some of you are going to tell me you use the 4th as well, but 3 is stronger, and people developing technique are certainly better off learning to use 3, backed up by 1 and 2). Of course, the ability to use 4 here is a necessary component of good technique, and a properly developed hand, but that is taken care of with the Walking Exercises, and Major Scales, as practiced according to The Principles. In a blues context, we want to stretch out 3 here, as in the fingering below.....
When beginning this scale from the 6th string, your hand will be in the "classical" position, as in the Walking Exercises, but by the time you get to the 4th string, it will begin to cradle the neck, turning so that the hand comes in to touch the side of the neck at the point where the index meets the hand. By the time you are on the 3rd string, the turning of the hand is complete, and your fingers approach the strings at an angle. As the hand turns, the 3rd finger will extend, so as to reach the fret that would otherwise be played with 4. This is an entirely different use of the left hand than we would use for more strict "classical" playing, or even most acoustic playing, where the "parallel" knuckle approach to the neck gives us what we need. But for the bending technique used in Blues, the left hand needs this orientation to the neck. For this reason, I prefer to have students learn this fingering for Scale 1, so they do not have to change the way they have learned it when it comes time to do bends on the 2nd and 1st string. Likewise with scale 2 given on page 17. Here, we see the scale starting from the 6th string, played to the first. While this is good for gaining an understanding of the layout of the notes of the Pentatonic Scale in the 2nd scale position, it is not practical, from a playing standpoint. You will rarely, if ever, use the notes on the 5th and 6th strings of this scale in standard blues moves. And, you will not be using the 2nd and 4th fingers as indicated in the book for the notes on the 1st and 2nd string, so why learn to play it that way! Fingers 1 and 3 are what we want here. Here is a shortened version of the Minor Pentatonic Scale #2, showing the notes you will use for most licks derived from the scale.
Many blues licks will have you moving along the 3rd string as you go from one scale position to another. And so, it is important to master this fingering.....
Important:
Here is a typical move from this scale connection......
Remember, I am not saying that you can never do things differently than given here. You can do whatever you want, (and it seems everyone does!). But these fingerings are, in my opinion, most useful, most used, and best for to learn as the first way to learn the basics of the Blues Scales. W HAT ARE PEOPLE SAYING ABOUT THEGuitarPrinciples System? "I am sure you know better than anyone else that your book, "The Principles Of Correct Practice For Guitar" did entirely change my way of looking at this intriguingly attractive instrument. Your book was, is, and will always remain the "turning point" of my musical life." Hossein, Iran
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