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Penta-, Hexa- and Octatonic Scale Patterns

My repository of standard scale patterns starts to thin out as we depart from heptatonic scales. Therefore I have decided to concentrate on various aspects of the standardized pentatonic scales, as well as the more common, if exotic, hexatonic and octatonic scales.

In all other cases, I would advise you to experiment on your own: add or subtract notes from the diatonic or non-diatonic seven-note scales as you see fit.

For completeness' sake, I also include tips and fingerings for the chromatic scale.

Pentatonic | Hexatonic | Octatonic | Chromatic scale

Pentatonic

The two by far most common pentatonic scales are the major and minor pentatonic scales. Just like their diatonic brethren, they are relative to each other, and thus consist of exactly the same notes, but in a different order. The root of the minor scale is found a minor third below that of the major scale.

Since these boxes flow more easily into each other than the diatonic scales, I have decided not to base both varieties on the root C, but state them in the relative keys C major and A minor.

Pentatonic Major

E-------------------5-8-
B---------------5-8-----
G-----------5-7---------
D-------3-5-------------
A-3-5-7-----------------
E-----------------------
  1 2 4 1 3 1 3 1 4 1 4
E--------------------------------
B--------------------------10-13-
G---------------------9-12-------
D---------------10-12------------
A---------10-12------------------
E-8-10-12------------------------
  1  2  4 1  3  1  3  1 4  1  4 
E-----------------3-5-
B-------------3-5-----
G---------2-5---------
D-----2-5-------------
A-3-5-----------------
E---------------------
  2 4 1 4 1 4 1 3 1 3 
E-------------------------8-
B--------------------8-10---
G----------------7-9--------
D-----------7-10------------
A------7-10-----------------
E-8-10----------------------
  2  4 1 3  1 4  1 3 1 3  1
E----------------------12-15-
B----------------13-15-------
G----------12-14-------------
D----12-14-------------------
A-15-------------------------
E----------------------------
  4  1  3  1  3  1  3  1  4
E-------------------5-8-
B---------------5-8-----
G-----------5-7---------
D-------5-7-------------
A---5-7-----------------
E-8---------------------
  4 1 3 1 3 1 3 1 4 1 4

Pentatonic Minor

E-------------------------15-17-
B-------------------15-17-------
G-------------12-14-------------
D-------12-14-------------------
A-12-15-------------------------
E-------------------------------
   1  4  1  3  1  3  1  3  1  3
E---------------------5-
B-----------------5-8---
G-------------5-7-------
D---------5-7-----------
A-----5-7---------------
E-5-8-------------------
  1 4 1 3 1 3 1 3 1 4 1
E-------------------------12-15-17-
B-------------------13-15----------
G-------------10-12----------------
D----10-12-14----------------------
A-12-------------------------------
E----------------------------------
  2  1  2  4  1  3  1  3  1  3  4
E---------------------5-
B-----------------5-8---
G-------------5-7-------
D---------5-7-----------
A---3-5-7---------------
E-5---------------------
  2 1 2 4 2 4 2 4 1 4 1
E---------------------10-12-
B---------------10-13-------
G----------9-12-------------
D----10-12------------------
A-12------------------------
E---------------------------
  4  2  4  1 4  1  4  1  3
E-------------------3-5-
B---------------3-5-----
G-----------2-5---------
D-------2-5-------------
A---3-5-----------------
E-5---------------------
  4 2 4 1 4 1 4 2 4 2 4

Another way of visualizing this scale is to anchor it around a certain fret, using three notes per string, which gives a lot of unison notes (and a lot of left-hand stretching!):

E-----------------------------------5-(8-10)-
B----------------------------5-8-10----------
G----------------------5-7-9-----------------
D---------------5-7-10-----------------------
A--------5-7-10------------------------------
E-5-8-10-------------------------------------
  1 3 4  1 2 4  1 2 4  1 2 4 1 3 4  1  3 4
E------------------------------------------------12-15-17-
B---------------------------------------13-15-17----------
G------------------------------12-14-17-------------------
D---------------------12-14-17----------------------------
A------------12-15-17-------------------------------------
E-(12-15-17)----------------------------------------------
   1  3  4   1  3  4  1  2  4  1  2  4  1  2  4  1  3  4
E---------------------------------3-5-(8)-
B---------------------------3-5-8---------
G---------------------2-5-7---------------
D---------------2-5-7---------------------
A---------3-5-7---------------------------
E-(3)-5-8---------------------------------
   1  2 4 1 2 4 1 3 4 1 3 4 1 2 4 1 2  4
E-------------------------------------------------10-12-15-
B----------------------------------------10-13-15----------
G--------------------------------9-12-14-------------------
D-----------------------10-12-14---------------------------
A------------(10)-12-15------------------------------------
E-(10-12-15)-----------------------------------------------
   1  2  4    1   2  4  1  2  4  1 3  4  1  3  4  1  2  4

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Hexatonic

One very distinct hexatonic scale that deserves specific mention is the whole-tone scale. As its name implies, it consists solely of whole-tone steps and is thus totally symmetric. Only two whole-tone scales are needed to cover all 12 keys. This fingering covers the roots A, B, C sharp/D flat, D sharp/E flat, F and G:

E--------------------------------------11-13-15-
B-----------------------------10-12-14----------
G---------------------8-10-12-------------------
D--------------7-9-11---------------------------
A-------6-8-10----------------------------------
E-5-7-9-----------------------------------------
  1 2 4 1 2 4  1 2 4  1 2  4  1  2  4  1  2  4

Just shift everything up or down a fret to cover A sharp/B flat, C, D, E, F sharp/G flat and G sharp/A flat.

The major-third interval between the G and B strings lends itself well to trippy whole-tone licks with a lot of repeated notes:

E-------------------------------------------------------
B-------12-10------10-8-----8-6-----6-4-----4-2-----2-0-
G-12-10-------10-8------8-6-----6-4-----4-2-----2-0-----
D-------------------------------------------------------
A-------------------------------------------------------
E-------------------------------------------------------
  3  1  3  1  3  1 etc.
E--------------------------------------------
B-------2-4-6-------4-6-8--------6-8-10------
G-2-4-6-------4-6-8-------6-8-10--------etc.-
D--------------------------------------------
A--------------------------------------------
E--------------------------------------------
  1 2 4 1 2 4 etc.

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Octatonic

Because they use more than the seven notes that we are conditioned to expect, octatonic scales bring with them a certain sense of polymodality, i.e. the sense of two (or more) different scales/modes being used at the same time. How to put this in practice will be the subject of a future article on scale selection.

The most common octatonic scale is the diminished scale. Since it consists of repeating patterns of whole- and semitones, it is perfectly symmetric. Only three diminished scales are required to cover all twelve keys. Here is an example on E, which has G, B flat and D flat as its possible alternate root notes:

E----------------------------------------11-12-
B----------------------------10-11-13-14-------
G------------------8-9-11-12-------------------
D--------7-8-10-11-----------------------------
A-7-9-10---------------------------------------
E----------------------------------------------
  1 3 4  1s1 3  4  1s1 3  4  1 s1  3  4  1 s1

This scale has one mode, which is called the inverted diminished scale. The first scale step is a semitone, the next a whole tone and thereafter they alternate:

E-----------------------------------9-10-12-
B-------------------------8-9-11-12---------
G------------------7-9-10-------------------
D-----------8-9-11--------------------------
A-7-8-10-11---------------------------------
E-------------------------------------------

The symmetry is extra interesting if you divide the eight notes into two equal four-note cells. These cells are separated by exactly half an octave, a.k.a. a tritone, or an augmented fourth. They also consist of recurring intervals (whole-half-whole), which allows a completely symmetric pattern if you play four notes per string:

E---------------------------------------------12-14-15-17-
B---------------------------------11-13-14-16-------------
G----------------------9-11-12-14-------------------------
D-----------8-10-11-13------------------------------------
A-7-9-10-12-----------------------------------------------
E---------------------------------------------------------
  1 2  3  4 1  2  3  4 1  2  3  4  1  2  3  4  1  2  3  4

In a way, it could be considered as a diminished seventh arpeggio with passing notes. In the following example, the passing notes are written within parentheses:

E----------------------------------------------------------(11)-12-
B------------------------------------------(10)-11-(13)-14---------
G----------------------------(8)-9-(11)-12-------------------------
D--------------(7)-8-(10)-11---------------------------------------
A-(6)-7-(9)-10-----------------------------------------------------
E------------------------------------------------------------------

You could also regard it as cells of whole-tones separated by semitone steps:

E---------------------------------9-11-12-
B-----------------------8-10-11-13--------
G--------------6-8-9-11-------------------
D-----5-7-8-10----------------------------
A-7-9-------------------------------------
E-----------------------------------------
  1 3 1 3 1 3  1 3 1 3  1 3  1  3 1 3  1

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The Chromatic Scale

As you are well aware by now, the chromatic scale consists of all 12 notes. It is well worth practicing it, since it can come in handy when you least expect it.

Due to its semitone nature and the natural three-fret reach of the 1-2-3-4 finger combination, it is surprisingly easy and logical to construct scale patterns for the chromatic scale. Play four adjacent notes per string, shift the entire cell up a major third, which means shifting down a fret as you switch strings. The exception is the G and B string pair:

E--------------------------------------------4-5-6-7-(s8)-
B------------------------------------5-6-7-8--------------
G----------------------------5-6-7-8----------------------
D--------------------6-7-8-9------------------------------
A-----------7-8-9-10--------------------------------------
E-8-9-10-11-----------------------------------------------
  1 2 3  4  1 2 3 4  1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4  s4

This pattern can be anchored on one fret by legato slides:

E----------------------------------------------------------------8-
B--------------------------------------------------8-s9-10-11-12---
G-------------------------------------7-s8-9-10-11-----------------
D------------------------7-s8-9-10-11------------------------------
A-----------7-s8-9-10-11-------------------------------------------
E-8-9-10-11--------------------------------------------------------
  1 2 3  4  1 s1 2 3  4  1 s1 2 3  4  1 s1 2 3  4  1 s1 2  3  4  1

When descending, keep to full four-note cells from the outset:

E-8-7-6-5----------------------------------------------------
B---------9-8-7-6--------------------------------------------
G-----------------9-8-7-6------------------------------------
D-------------------------10-9-8-7---------------------------
A----------------------------------11-10-9-8-----------------
E--------------------------------------------12-11-10-9-(s8)-
  4 3 2 1 4 3 2 1 4 3 2 1 4  3 2 1 4  3  2 1 4  3  2  1 (s1)

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