Monday, August 03, 2009

Improvisation Basics: The Power of the Pentatonic Scale


Last week I spent at Otava Jazz  Camp in outskirts of St. Michael in Finland. (My last year's blog post - 2009 pictorial story is forthcoming.) The theme for this year was syncopation. Much of the time was spent working in small combos and developing an improvised solo. The cornerstone for a beginning improviser is the Pentatonic Scale:

Bobby McFerrin is one of the natural wonders of the music world. A ten-time Grammy Award winner, he is one of the world's best-known vocal innovators and improvisers, a world-renowned classical conductor, the creator of "Don't Worry Be Happy", one of the most popular songs of the late 20th century, and a passionate spokesman for music education. Here Bobby demonstrates the power of the pentatonic scale, using audience participation, at the event "Notes & Neurons: In Search of the Common Chorus", from the 2009 World Science Festival, June 12, 2009.

More on Pentatonic Scales By John Lull

3 comments:

Anita C. McCants said...

That was AWESOME! :~)

Unknown said...

Beautiful - I am so glad I found your blog and somehow connected. I'm not a musician, just an admirer of musical talent, particularly jazz and bosso nova, and a poet who wishes she had a musician friend to play behind her poetry readings.

Harri Rautiainen said...

Thank you, ladies, for your kind words and encouragement.

writer347, I will have some Rock n'Roll poetry coming shortly,
-Harri