Quaetion About Your Slow Pentatonics Lesson Options

[Guitar1969]

David:
Had a question for you. On this lesson, I am interested in the choice of the E Minor pentatonic scale when switching to the Cmaj chord - Why does it work well with it. I understand using Emajor Pent over the song intially because its in the key of E major, and I am familiar with using relative minors and also in blues using an Eminor scale over an Emajor progression, but am trying to figure out the relationship between the Eminor scale and the Cmaj change. I know this is a theory question, but I am wondering if I have a somewhat limited view of what scales can be used with what. Is it because Em is the relative minor of G(same Penta scale), and G is the 5th interval of Cmaj, which is a strong note in the Cmaj scale. I have a hard time knowing what scales can be used wit hwhat aside from the obvious(Dictated by the overall key).

Thanks,

Michael

[David Wallimann]

Great question Michael!
Sorry for this late answer...
You almost figured it out yourself!

As you said, G is the 5th note of a C Major scale. That 5th note (or 5th degree) is the starting point of the Mixolydian mode, which is a major mode, hence the Major pentatonic.

Does that answer your question? :-)

David:
Had a question for you. On this lesson, I am interested in the choice of the E Minor pentatonic scale when switching to the Cmaj chord - Why does it work well with it. I understand using Emajor Pent over the song intially because its in the key of E major, and I am familiar with using relative minors and also in blues using an Eminor scale over an Emajor progression, but am trying to figure out the relationship between the Eminor scale and the Cmaj change. I know this is a theory question, but I am wondering if I have a somewhat limited view of what scales can be used with what. Is it because Em is the relative minor of G(same Penta scale), and G is the 5th interval of Cmaj, which is a strong note in the Cmaj scale. I have a hard time knowing what scales can be used wit hwhat aside from the obvious(Dictated by the overall key).

Thanks,

Michael