{"id":17857,"date":"2024-11-01T15:03:17","date_gmt":"2024-11-01T22:03:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/?p=17857"},"modified":"2024-11-01T15:32:42","modified_gmt":"2024-11-01T22:32:42","slug":"5-pentatonic-licks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/5-pentatonic-licks\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Pentatonic Licks Your Teacher Never Taught You ft. Jemma Heigis"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>The pentatonic scale is a go-to for improvisation across genres, bringing a bluesy edge and depth to any performance. If you\u2019ve learned the basics of this scale, why not take it a step further? Here are five expressive licks using the pentatonic scale to help you stand out\u2014and maybe even impress a few friends!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<span class=\"blue-text-block\"><center><h2 style=\"font-size:22px\"><b>\ud83c\udfb9 Download The Sheet Music<\/b><\/h2>\n<p>Grab the sheet music for all 5 of Jemma&#8217;s pentatonic licks.<\/p>\n<iframe class=\"email-form-include\" src=\"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/pentatonic-licks\" frameborder=\"none\"><\/iframe><p>We\u2019ll also send you free lessons and special offers. Don\u2019t worry, we value your privacy and you can unsubscribe at any time.<\/p><\/center><\/span>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">1. <strong>Lick #1: The Rolling Blues<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>For our first lick, we\u2019ll start with a classic blues sound using the notes <strong>E and G, A and C<\/strong>. The trick here is to approach the E with a fast \u201croll\u201d using <strong>D, D#, and E<\/strong>. Practicing this roll first will help build confidence and smoothness. Place your fingers on E and G, then drop your pinky onto A and C to create that bluesy flair.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">2. <strong>Lick #2: Grace Note Slide<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>This descending lick uses <strong>A and C<\/strong> and then <strong>E and G<\/strong> but adds a grace note slide to make it stand out. Grace notes are quick, leading tones that make your playing sound polished and intentional. With this lick, you\u2019ll slide down between notes to add a professional-sounding \u201cflourish.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">3. <strong>Lick #3: Descending Pentatonic with a Blues Note<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>This lick uses the <strong>major pentatonic scale<\/strong> but introduces a blues note for extra flavor. Start with <strong>C, A, G, and E<\/strong>, then cross over to <strong>Eb<\/strong> to add tension. By repeating this descending pattern, you create a steady groove that sounds complex but feels natural once you\u2019re in the flow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">4. <strong>Lick #4: Minor Pentatonic with Blues Note<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Switching to the <strong>minor pentatonic scale<\/strong>, we\u2019ll add a bluesy twist by descending with a blues note. Use <strong>C, Bb, G, F#, F, and Eb<\/strong> to create a moody vibe. Practice alternating between your fingers to keep the notes fluid and give the lick a smooth, expressive quality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">5. <strong>Lick #5: Fast Triplet Run<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>This one\u2019s a bit trickier, but it\u2019s also a lot of fun! Start with a fast triplet run using <strong>C, Eb, and F<\/strong> and repeat this pattern six times. Then, descend down the minor pentatonic scale for a dramatic finish. You can play this with different fingerings (like 2-3-5 or 2-1-4) to find what feels most comfortable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Putting It All Together<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Once you have the licks down, try practicing them with backing tracks or improvising them into your own music. The more you use these licks, the more natural they\u2019ll feel\u2014and before you know it, they\u2019ll be part of your signature sound.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Master these five licks, and you\u2019ll not only improve your improvisation skills but also add a bluesy depth to your playing that\u2019s sure to turn heads. Let us know which lick is your favorite in the comments, and have fun exploring the pentatonic scale!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Want to dive even deeper? <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/trial\">Join us at Pianote<\/a>, where you can loop and slow down sections of any lesson, perfect for mastering licks like these. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/trial\">Start a 7-day FREE trial<\/a> for step-by-step practice and get access to lessons from some of the best piano teachers around.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The pentatonic scale is a go-to for improvisation across genres, bringing a bluesy edge and depth to any performance. If you\u2019ve learned the basics of this scale, why not take it a step further? Here are five expressive licks using the pentatonic scale to help you stand out\u2014and maybe even impress a few friends! \ud83c\udfb9 [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":63,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":true,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1110,1108],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-17857","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-improvisation-musicianship","category-musicianship"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17857","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/63"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=17857"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17857\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":18206,"href":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17857\/revisions\/18206"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17857"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=17857"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=17857"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}