5 Pentatonic Scales That Sound Great On A Maj7

A Pentatonic scale is a great resource to get some solid melodies and colorful extensions to shine on a maj7 chord. In this video, I am going to go over 5 options for pentatonic scales that are really great on a maj7 chord.

Some of them you know already, but I will also show you how to get them to sound a little more interesting.

A few others you probably don't know and I actually had a hard time finding the right name for them.

I am going to go over the 5 scales but also give you some tips or hacks on how to make more interesting melodies with pentatonic scales because that is something that is very underestimated.

7 Pentatonic Tricks That Will Make You Play Better Jazz Solos
You might be getting Pentatonic scales wrong, and it is a really great and powerful Jazz sound even when you are using a very basic version of it.

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Content:
0:00 Intro
0:42 Pentatonic Scales are much more than you think
1:05 #1 Am or C major Pentatonic
1:47 Interesting Structures - Spread Triads
2:45 Interesting Structures - Quartal Arps
3:34 #2 Em - My Favourite
4:57 The Blues Hack
5:44 #3 Bm - Lydian Sound from a Pentatonic scale
6:56 #4 Hirajoshi - Extended Arpeggio as a Scale
8:12 #5 Locrian Pentatonic (Or is it a Mandalorian b6 Pentatonic?)
10:05 More Pentatonic Tricks?
10:20 Like the video? Check out my Patreon page

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My name is Jens Larsen, Danish Jazz Guitarist, and Educator. The videos on this channel will help you explore and enjoy Jazz. Some of it is how to play jazz guitar, but other videos are more on Music Theory like Jazz Chords or advice on how to practice and learn Jazz, on guitar or any other instrument.

The videos are mostly jazz guitar lessons, but also music theory, analysis of songs and videos on jazz guitars.

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[JensLarsen]

Do you use the Mandalorian b5 Pentatonic?
Content:
0:00 Intro
0:42 Pentatonic Scales are much more than you think
1:05 #1 Am or C major Pentatonic
1:47 Interesting Structures - Spread Triads
2:45 Interesting Structures - Quartal Arps
3:34 #2 Em - My Favourite
4:57 The Blues Hack
5:44 #3 Bm - Lydian Sound from a Pentatonic scale
6:56 #4 Hirajoshi - Extended Arpeggio as a Scale
8:12 #5 Locrian Pentatonic (Or is it a Mandalorian b6 Pentatonic?)
10:05 More Pentatonic Tricks?
10:20 Like the video? Check out my Patreon page

[enriquenunez]

Really appreciate the little things you add to your videos (graphics, time stamps in the description, etc.) it really makes them easier to follow!

[fotoajojo]

One of the most USEFUL lessons I have ever come across and had immediate impact on my playing. Whenever I get to travel again, (I am usually in Amsterdam every year for World Press) I will be hoping to find you gigging locally. PS - the YouTube ads in the middle of your GREAT content is a real bummer.

[TheWhaddeva]

Jens Larsen, you beauty! You are an absolute master in delivering and teaching complex concepts in such an easy, but the eloquent way. Great stuff, if I ever happen to be in Holland, I would be honoured to pay for the dinner and some beers just to share some time with you :-)

[tonepoet]

I'm all about that 1/2 step below pentatonic (lydian). My introduction to playing successfully over the ii, V, I was getting shown that playing a pentatonic minor starting on the 5th of the ii chord and moving it up in half steps over each chord gave great melodic tones and all the good outside stuff over the V chord.

* Am (ii chord) - Em pentatonic (scale tones are 5, b7, 1, 9, 11)
* D7 (V chord) - Fm pentatonic (scale tones are #9, #11, b13, b7, b9)
GMaj7 (I chord) - F#m pentatonic (what you mentioned above)

Thanks for these amazing lessons, you are getting me extremely interested in playing jazz guitar again after a decade of not playing any.

[cgtxzvh]

YOU are the most didactic and constant Jazz Guitar instructor on the WEB... Not to mention that you are very tasteful... Thanks...

[georgetheonlyporge]

So much great material, man! You must be a teacher in real life, you have an excellent ability to explain clearly and as simply as possible You've come at exactly the right time in my life, now I'm FINALLY ready to get into music theory. Have a great day, Jens Larsen.

[RodMitchell-xv]

Thanks so much...really enjoy your relaxed approach

[TheMegansdad]

Thank you Jens. Another amazing master class in jazz guitar.

[bluesrockguitaristmikesall]

Thanks Jens, very applicable to Modern Blues Rock.

[landofold]

Dude your lighting and imaging is looking sick. Really amazing

[dkwvt]

fascinating lesson again blowing out the "boundaries" of the pentatonic. I love the Hirajoshi, it's a sound I use but I didn't know it had a name... B-). Thank You!

[emiral]

Hello, Jens! First of all, I want to thank you for doing such a great job.
You are definitely my favorite jazz teacher because apart from the good lessons you make, you seem to be very authentic!
Are you offering, or are you planning to offer a jazz course that 1) covers the most important things from A-Z, 2) is well-structured
and 3) takes many months to master? With some sort of final exams! As you know it from various online sites? I would attend your
(in this case, of course, chargeable) course immediately!! But don't stop with the instagram lessons then :D

Best regards and keep up the good work,

Emir

[RCSmiths]

hey man you had me at Pentatonics! A guitarists best friend indeed. Awesome work!

[aptelbruno]

Thank you so much for this tremendous work and all those nice pentatonic colors.

[arkadiuszdec]

Hey! Great lesson. The locrian pentatonic is 4th mod of pentatonic Insen (In Sen scale) C, Db, F, G, Bb - so it is the phrygian chord C7b9sus

[stankowalski]

Jens...excellent and informative video as always ! Just wanted to add my two cents. Practicing classical violin pieces, like Bach's Presto Sonata No. 1 in G minor, are great ways for students to enhance or improve stamina and technique, especially when played up to speed. And they teach beautiful use of triads as well ! - Cheers, Stan

[joehernandez]

Great lesson Jens. I found when using the F# locrian pent. scale, thinking of the Cmaj 7 as the chord based on the 5th degree of a Gmaj7 scale really helped since that maj 7 chord inlcudes the #4/#11. That way all the quartel harmonies and other pentatonics I use over a Gmaj7 work over the Cmaj7 to achieve that sound. Thanks.

[federicocabanit]

You’re one of my idols in guitar playing specially jazz. Can you recommend what brand of jazz guitar which has good quality

[空小人物]

Great take at the subject! Fab teaching (as always). Grazie Maestro!