LOA5 - Submission for Pentatonic Scale
Fri, 07/03/2026 - 17:25
Hi David,
Could you please expand on the pentatonic scale as covered in the Movement Excercises? I'd like to clarify the following: The C Major Pentatonic Scale from the exercise (p.1) is transcribed for a C harp. However, on p.2, the G Major Pentatonic Scale, is also transcribed for a C harp. The two scales don't follow the same pattern and based on the theory homework that's because the C Major Pentatonic on a C harp is played in first position (Major/Ionian mode) while the G Major Pentatonic scale, also played on the C Harp has a different structure because we are now playing in 2nd position (Mixolydian mode).
Am I understanding this correctly?
Thanks!Eric
Hello Eric. You're correct that the mixolydian mode is what we get if we play all the notes available when playing a C harmonica in the key of G. With that said, as players, we can choose any notes we want. In other words, even though mixolydian is our "base" scale available to us without any changes as we move around the harmonica, we can play any scale we want. You can play in any mode in 2nd position, as well as any soloing scale (blues and major pentatonic for example). So, G A B D E G is correct for the G Major Pentatonic scale when playing on a C Harmonica in 2nd Position.