Tom D.
05/07/24
Changed my life
I can't express how valuable this course is to me, I never thought I could break away from my boring old minor shapes, But I have...But I haven't! lol Many thanks.
The Power of Five
Creative pentatonic scale applications for improvisation
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Robbie Calvo
Educator
Genres
About this course
There’s an infinite variety of music that can be played with just the 12 notes found in Western music. In fact, if you took just 8 of those notes, kept them within a single octave, used only three different types of note length (quarter, eighth and sixteenth for example), and arranged them in a single measure of music, there would be 79 billion different melodies possible!
So how is it possible that those 5-note pentatonic scales seem to produce so little when it comes to your solos and improvisations? The answer is really simple. Guitarists, more so than players of any other type of instrument, get locked in the so called ‘minor pentatonic box’ primarily because their orientation on the guitar started there — its home base for so many of us. That all ends today with Robbie Calvo’s Power of Five!
Robbie’s Power Of Five’ approach is zen-like in its simplicity, yet its musical firepower is powerful, sophisticated and wide-ranging. In short, Robbie will show you how to break out of the minor Pentatonic box using the very same minor Pentatonic box —just playing it in a different location on the fretboard.
Follow Robbie’s Power of Five simple system to achieve stunning musical results over any progression without learning any new licks, shapes or muscle memory patterns. In fact, you’ll be able to use your same licks in these new locations on the fretboard to craft fresh-sounding lines over the same musical canvas.
In the introductory section of the course, Robbie explains and demonstrates how the Power of Five system works with four tutorials; Break The Box With The Box, Creative Note Distribution, Rhythmic Motif Development and Sweet Notes/Outlining the Changes.
In the first section of application studies, Robbie demonstrates the Power of Five system over one-chord vamps. Each Power of Five study features a performance example, a breakdown and then a playalong so you can put what you've just learned to work immediately.
The second section of the course focuses on chord progression studies. Again, Robbie will demonstrate the Power of Five application and follow it with a detailed breakdown and playalong.
In the third and final section of the course, Robbie steps you through Power of Five applications for all seven modes; Ionian, Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, Mixolydian, Aeolian and even Locrian. These studies in particular will yield an amazing array of new colors and textures that will immediately spice up your improvisations very impressively. Performances, breakdowns and playalongs are also included in this section.
The course includes all of the backing tracks that Robbie uses for the demonstrations and playalongs, as well as tab, notation and charts for all of the demonstrations. One of the most important and powerful assets to this course is a reference chart that indicates all of the places on the fretboard to play your one shape for all of the musical situations covered in the course.
If you already know your minor pentatonic shape, then we can promise you immediate results with the Power of Five system — just learn where and when to move that single shape, and you are well on your way to crafting your own 79-billion melodic phrases!
So how is it possible that those 5-note pentatonic scales seem to produce so little when it comes to your solos and improvisations? The answer is really simple. Guitarists, more so than players of any other type of instrument, get locked in the so called ‘minor pentatonic box’ primarily because their orientation on the guitar started there — its home base for so many of us. That all ends today with Robbie Calvo’s Power of Five!
Robbie’s Power Of Five’ approach is zen-like in its simplicity, yet its musical firepower is powerful, sophisticated and wide-ranging. In short, Robbie will show you how to break out of the minor Pentatonic box using the very same minor Pentatonic box —just playing it in a different location on the fretboard.
Follow Robbie’s Power of Five simple system to achieve stunning musical results over any progression without learning any new licks, shapes or muscle memory patterns. In fact, you’ll be able to use your same licks in these new locations on the fretboard to craft fresh-sounding lines over the same musical canvas.
In the introductory section of the course, Robbie explains and demonstrates how the Power of Five system works with four tutorials; Break The Box With The Box, Creative Note Distribution, Rhythmic Motif Development and Sweet Notes/Outlining the Changes.
In the first section of application studies, Robbie demonstrates the Power of Five system over one-chord vamps. Each Power of Five study features a performance example, a breakdown and then a playalong so you can put what you've just learned to work immediately.
The second section of the course focuses on chord progression studies. Again, Robbie will demonstrate the Power of Five application and follow it with a detailed breakdown and playalong.
In the third and final section of the course, Robbie steps you through Power of Five applications for all seven modes; Ionian, Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, Mixolydian, Aeolian and even Locrian. These studies in particular will yield an amazing array of new colors and textures that will immediately spice up your improvisations very impressively. Performances, breakdowns and playalongs are also included in this section.
The course includes all of the backing tracks that Robbie uses for the demonstrations and playalongs, as well as tab, notation and charts for all of the demonstrations. One of the most important and powerful assets to this course is a reference chart that indicates all of the places on the fretboard to play your one shape for all of the musical situations covered in the course.
If you already know your minor pentatonic shape, then we can promise you immediate results with the Power of Five system — just learn where and when to move that single shape, and you are well on your way to crafting your own 79-billion melodic phrases!
What you'll learn
- Create seamless phrases by combining patterns
- Apply call-and-response improvisation technique
- Integrate pentatonic licks with modal playing
- Improvise over a C#m7 - F#m7 - E/F# modal progression
- Connect multiple scale patterns across the fretboard
Release date: 12/24/2013 • 3h 25m runtime
Sample lessons
Creative Note Distribution
Overview
Rock/Pop Dm7 - Fmaj7 - Gm7
Performance
Applying The Box Dm7 - Fmaj7 - Gm7
Breakdown
Aeolian Mode F#m7 - C#m7 - B5 - E5
Performance
What's included
59 lessons • 49 charts • 34 Jam Tracks
The Power of Five
The minor pentatonic scale is probably the first scale shape we all learn as guitarists and the default scale we all go to for solos throughout our musical journey. Why? Because it's easy to learn and sounds incredible for almost any style of music. This 5 note box pattern is our musical refuge in times of need and can also be our melodic prison when we want to expand to new musical horizons.
The minor pentatonic box shape can become a hard habit to break and after years of muscle memory playing in this one scale pattern, many guitarists voice that learning new shapes and licks becomes even harder to achieve. Quite often this stagnant energy results in what I like to call box boredom and this is where many guitarists lose interest in music because they just aren't progressing beyond that initial scale barrier to find new and exciting tonal colors.
The 'Power Of Five' concept however, shows you how to break the minor pentatonic box with the same minor pentatonic box! Let me clarify! This course will show you how to use the one pentatonic scale box shape we all know and love in different places on the fretboard to achieve stunning musical results over any progression without learning anything new at all. No new licks, shapes or muscle memory workouts! Just your licks sounding new and fresh in several areas on the fretboard over the same musical canvas.
The minor pentatonic box shape can become a hard habit to break and after years of muscle memory playing in this one scale pattern, many guitarists voice that learning new shapes and licks becomes even harder to achieve. Quite often this stagnant energy results in what I like to call box boredom and this is where many guitarists lose interest in music because they just aren't progressing beyond that initial scale barrier to find new and exciting tonal colors.
The 'Power Of Five' concept however, shows you how to break the minor pentatonic box with the same minor pentatonic box! Let me clarify! This course will show you how to use the one pentatonic scale box shape we all know and love in different places on the fretboard to achieve stunning musical results over any progression without learning anything new at all. No new licks, shapes or muscle memory workouts! Just your licks sounding new and fresh in several areas on the fretboard over the same musical canvas.
Break The Box With The Box
You are going to learn how to break out of the minor pentatonic box by using the same minor pentatonic box shape. I hear you say how are you going to do that?
Well, there are several places on the fretboard you can place and play that shape over any musical progression or chord vamp and each location will sound different from the others. This variation in melodic options occurs because you are using different notes at that location. The shape stays the same but the notes change. More often than not you can still use your hard-earned licks in each of those positions and they'll all sound different at each fretboard location. This means you've just freshened up and expanded your lick vocabulary without learning any new scale shapes - you can't beat that!
Well, there are several places on the fretboard you can place and play that shape over any musical progression or chord vamp and each location will sound different from the others. This variation in melodic options occurs because you are using different notes at that location. The shape stays the same but the notes change. More often than not you can still use your hard-earned licks in each of those positions and they'll all sound different at each fretboard location. This means you've just freshened up and expanded your lick vocabulary without learning any new scale shapes - you can't beat that!
Creative Note Distribution
Let me explain how it works and what the stunning results will be. For example, I'll take an A7 chord backing track and tell you that you can play the same pentatonic box shape at the 2nd, 5th, 7th, 9th and 12th frets over this chord. I'll play similar licks and phrases at each location and you'll hear that they all sound different because the notes found at each of those locations will be different from the others. Makes sense right!? What you've just achieved is 5 tonal variations for each of your licks (Creative Note Distribution) and created melodic motifs through the use of similar rhythmic patterns.
Rhythmic Motif Development
When you employ the same lick within the framework of new fretboard locations you are changing your note choices but also you are creating repetitive rhythmic and melodic phrases and hooks that can be very powerful for you and your playing development. You'll hear me employ this creative tool throughout the 'Power Of Five' course, in any style and over any progression. I call this rhythmic motif development.
Sweet Notes - Outlining the Changes
Once we've solidified the 'PO5' concept over simple chord progressions we'll branch out to play over dominant and minor blues progressions and this is where the 'Power Of Five' really kicks into high gear!
You are going to use the same pentatonic box at different fretboard locations to outline each of the chord changes in these blues progressions without having to learn a single new arpeggio, scale or pattern - just the same box new sounds! You'll be playing through the changes and outlining the chord tones your first time around a 12 bar blues progression guaranteed!
I'll be showing you how to apply the 'Power Of Five' approach over static chord vamps, 2 chord vamps, 3 chord vamps, minor and dominant blues progressions, altered chord funk, rock, pop and all seven of the major scale modes.
All of my demonstrations will show you how to outline the chord changes with simple movements of the one shape. Incredible 'Power of Five' concepts we can all use and embrace with no effort at all. It's the ultimate gift to Box bored guitarists all over the world.
The 'Power Of Five' course comes with world class backing tracks for each example, solo demonstrations, charts, tab, notation and power tab. One of the most important and powerful assets to this course is a reference chart that indicates all of the places to play your one shape in all of the situations studied in the course.
You are going to use the same pentatonic box at different fretboard locations to outline each of the chord changes in these blues progressions without having to learn a single new arpeggio, scale or pattern - just the same box new sounds! You'll be playing through the changes and outlining the chord tones your first time around a 12 bar blues progression guaranteed!
I'll be showing you how to apply the 'Power Of Five' approach over static chord vamps, 2 chord vamps, 3 chord vamps, minor and dominant blues progressions, altered chord funk, rock, pop and all seven of the major scale modes.
All of my demonstrations will show you how to outline the chord changes with simple movements of the one shape. Incredible 'Power of Five' concepts we can all use and embrace with no effort at all. It's the ultimate gift to Box bored guitarists all over the world.
The 'Power Of Five' course comes with world class backing tracks for each example, solo demonstrations, charts, tab, notation and power tab. One of the most important and powerful assets to this course is a reference chart that indicates all of the places to play your one shape in all of the situations studied in the course.
SECTION 1: One Chord Vamp Studies
I've chosen to apply our 'Power Of Five' approach over one chord vamps first so that we can concentrate on hearing and understanding the potential of this new improvisational tool without the distraction of chord changes. You will learn to focus in on the tones associated with each fretboard location of the minor pentatonic box over an A7 chord and the chord extensions on that chord quality. You'll then learn the several fretboard locations for the 'Pent Box' over an Ami11 chord. Lastly you'll be playing over an Amaj7#11 chord vamp, creating melodic lines and motifs with just that one scale shape as your melodic vehicle.
One Chord Type A7/A9/13
In this performance you will see me systematically move up the fretboard to each possible fretboard location for the minor pentatonic box. I purposely played the solo this way in order for you to see where and how the 'Power Of Five' works. I wouldn't necessarily always approach a solo this way but I thought it would make things easy to capture visually. Hope you enjoy the tonal options that can be obtained by this new approach.
+ 52 more lessons
Reviews
16 results
andersonra
Verified buyer
07/14/22
Robbie Calvo shows there is a lot to know about pentatonics!!!
billy
07/20/21
So ingenious!!
What a great course, taking something so familiar and underused-- its perfect for beginners who know the "one shape" or intermediates who just don't solo all over the neck. Go over the material again---the ideas he's showing directly lead into the groundwork for more advanced soloing...it will really break you out of the box. Awesome idea to put this together...thank you Mr. Calvo!
Kimball
02/01/21
The Skeleton Key
That's right, using the same pentatonic shapes in different places on the fretboard is like having a skeleton key to unlock different sounds. Beautiful in its simplicity. Of course there are a couple of "lava" notes that one has to avoid or tweak with a bend. This is like being given the same toy for Christmas and finding a whole new bag of uses for it. Way to go Robbie.
olddoublechin
Verified buyer
11/28/20
Excellent teacher - loads of content
Firstly this course helps learning how to build complex and effective rhythms with greatvast versatility. Both the music and the explanations are excellent. Bit by bit lots of material are covered by this excellent teacher, who has a very relaxed, and laid back way of putting complex things simple. Also I would recommend this tutor especially to non-native speakers, simply because of his very clear pronunciation.
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