The Dickey Betts Scale - Learn his style - Major Pentatonic Scale guitar lesson - EP404

In this week's guitar lesson, you'll learn how to play a Dickey Betts inspired lead and learn several of his techniques - all using the major. pentatonic scale.

[GradyElla]

I grew up on a steady diet of Allman Brothers, Marshall Tucker, Outlaws, BB King, etc. Then, George Benson came along, then Wes Montgomery then Charlie Christian. And THEN comes Pat Methany! OK, I'm now almost 64 years old. I can still pick up a guitar and rip off just about any Allman Brothers song note for note and I'm reaching a point in life where it's becoming obvious that I'm never going to keep up with Pat Methany and I don't even know where to start sometimes with George Benson. There's something to be said for just playing melodic lines that are, let's be honest, pretty easy under the hand, but just flow so naturally. I'm really find myself gravitating back to those old days when you didn't need to even know what key you were in! Just find the note on the e-string and put your hand over four frets and start jamming away. Even my wife says, "you sound best when you don't have all the charts out and you're trying to sound like someone else, just sound like yourself." "Myself" has always been a mix of all the above. This lesson of yours is like being given permission to just play. Time to put the Fake Books away and fire up the turntable. Even an old, scratchy version of Carlos Santana playing Song of the Wind is still a beautiful thing. Probably one of the best pentatonic scale solos of all time.

[xwvzhly]

Dickey Betts is nothing short of a genuine World Musical treasure

[erik]

Revisiting this excellent lesson today. RIP Mr. Betts 😢

[HTNT]

I love Dickey Betts solos..they are so melodic and all the notes flow so well into each other

[GuitarJoLa]

Oh man, that just floored me! The way you PLAY and the way you TEACH are both amazing! Just AMAZING! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[MikeLike]

After Jeff Beck’s passing I have rediscovered Allman Brothers and Dickey Betts. Dickey’s style of guitar play speaks to me. I wish it didn’t take this long to have delved into his great guitar playing. It was decades ago I learned Jessica, and play it often....more to be learned!

[john]

Thank you for recognizing the beauty of dickies playing...I loose my my mind when Allman fans trash him because his attitude could allegedly be a lil rough around the edges back in the day...his playing was always angelic

[kevinmusso]

You are hands down the best guitar teacher on YT.

[DavidLO]

Strictly my opinion but you are one of the best teachers online!!! You play so smoothly it inspires me to keep growing. Many many thanks to you good sir for sharing your time knowledge and wisdom with us! 🙏🏻

[kurtgoodwin]

Dickie Betts has been one of my very favorites for almost 50 years (wow). I love his approach, his melodic soloing, his tone, just everything. And I feel like you just gave me a missing piece of the puzzle, adding in the 4th and leaving out the 7th in the scale. The minute I ran up and down the major pentatonic with that 4th added, I thought, man that is Dickie through and through. What a wonderful simple insight - just beautiful. thanks!

[allenh]

WOW That intro was hypnotizing. I was in another world when you started talking.

[asansone]

It’s amazing the sound and feelings you can create with the major pentatonic scales…

[caleshtcincredibles]

I play country and country rock and I just keep coming back to this again for doing this!

[charliejervis]

Dickey is a great guitarist, singer, composer and musician.

[jpalberthoward]

Dickey and Duane were the original dynamic duo. In some ways, they were almost opposites, but together they were beyond phenomenal. Dickey was, and still is a genius.

[larrycavallucci]

I am one of your Premium members. THIS lesson is one of my FAVs and I've learned it by heart! Wish you did more Southern Rock Gtr guys.

[robdavidson]

Dickey changed his styles and tone over the years. Rock and roll sound of the Fillmore years, country and clean treble sound with the brothers and sisters era, more mellow jazzy with Warren, country and rock/jazz with his solo work. Always changing.

[barrietait]

Hi from a 73 yr old bass player trying to play 6 strings! This is a great lesson which reminds me so much of Peter Green and Snowy White Slabo Day which takes me so far back. Wonderfull use of more or less a single position of a scale. Brilliant work love your way of teaching.

[sidgriffin]

A fine lesson. Betts is fine picker. I saw the Allmans a second time after Duane passed. Just Betts on guitar in Columbia, SC in 1975. He played so well and so out front of the stage I could tell he was making a firm but polite musical statement of "Duane is gone, we loved him and will miss him, but hey, I am here and I can pick too!'. It was a stirring performance. Unforgettable.

[andrewptob]

Love Dickey Betts! I’ve always been inclined to play major, so him and Jerry Garcia are two of my favorite guitarists