Four-note groups
With
Tim RichardsLearn how to play the flat three pentatonic scale on C.
What's in the course
20 lessons (0h 40m) · 1 free
Lesson transcript
Understanding the Flat 3 Pentatonic Scale
If you remember your major pentatonic scale in C:
Root: 2, 3, 5, 6,
it's easy to find the flat 3 pentatonic.
What is the Flat 3 Pentatonic?
In order to do so, we just have to flatten the third. That's why it's called the flat three. This creates a really strong sound, similar to the blues scale or the minor pentatonic.
Although this is a minor pentatonic, it has a different name. This one can be played over a blues, over all three chords in the same way.
And that's what we're going to do in Sing and Play number three.
Exploring Four Note Groups
Let's have a quick look at the four note groups derived from this scale:
- Thumb on the Root
- Thumb on the Second
- Thumb on the Minor Third (the flat three)
- Thumb on the Fifth
- Thumb on the Sixth
We're going to sing and play ideas based on those five hand positions.
Playing in C7, F7, and G7
We're not going to quite do it on the blues in C because I'm going to give you:
- Four bars on C7
- Four bars on F7
- Four bars on G7
Although we're going to do it in the order of a 12 bar blues, it won't actually be a 12 bar blues.
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Meet your guru
Meet your guru
Critically acclaimed jazz pianist and composer Tim Richards is one of Britain’s most experienced jazz educators, teaching piano privately for over 30 years, as well as at Morley College, Goldsmiths College, the University of Surrey, Premises Studios and other venues in the UK and abroad. He has produced numerous titles for Schott Music, including the best-selling two-volume Exploring Jazz Piano, Blues, Boogie & Gospel Collection and the acclaimed Improvising Blues Piano. He is also co-author, with John Crawford, of Exploring Latin Piano and Brazilian Piano Collection.
More recently Schott have published Jazz, Latin & Modern Collection (15 pieces for solo piano), comprising Tim Richards originals alongside pieces by Duke Ellington and Thelonious Monk, and the two volume set Beginning Jazz Piano (now a two-part MusicGurus course).
“The real joy of Tim’s music… is that it is both hugely educational but also such great fun to play. Anyone with the slightest interest in learning to play or teach jazz piano should really acquire a set of Tim’s books.” PianoDao
As a performer Tim has been a presence on the UK jazz scene since the 1980s, also playing the blues with UK and US legends such as Otis Grand, Earl Green, Dana Gillespie, Larry Garner, Joe Louis Walker and Mojo Buford. He has released over a dozen albums as a leader (featuring many of London’s best jazz musicians including Pete King, Gilad Atzmon, Tony Kofi, Jason Yarde, Seb Rochford, Ed Jones, Dick Pearce and many others), and toured all over Europe with line-ups ranging from duo to nine-piece. His latest recording, the album ‘Telegraph Hill’ by the six-piece Hextet, was described in The Observer as "A true joy from beginning to end".
More info can be found on his website www.timrichards.ndo.co.uk
