Pentatonic scales on CBA b-system?

[Random Johnny]

I’m searching an easy way to play, for instance, the g-minor pentatonic scale. I have a 5 row b-system CBA.
My teacher likes to play on the first 3 rows with occasional use of the 4th and says it’s not easy to play this scale on CBA. There are two times two notes next to each other in this pentatonic scale and I find it dificult to choose the right fingering.
Any suggestion welcome,
Regards,
Peter

 

[tcabot]

Hmm...
Personally, I'd start digging from row/finger:

G 2/1
Bb 2/2
C 3/3
D 4/4
F 1/5


G 2/1
Bb 2/2
C 3/3
D 4/4
F 1/1
G 2/2
Bb 2/3
C 3/4
D 1/1
F 1/2
G 2/3
Bb 2/4
C 3/5

And then see what works, but you do have the problem of each octave not having the same fingering. It feels reasonably consistent with your typical maj & min scale patterns on a 5-row keyboard.

If you play your maj & min scales in 1-2-3 1-2-3-4 and 1-2-3-4 1-2-3 pattern, then with pentatonic you seem to eventually run into the problem of having to roll the thumb under the pinkie which is unnatural and hard to execute.

But I'm no expert at all. LEt's see what others say.

 

[Random Johnny]

Hmm...
Personally, I'd start digging from row/finger:

G 2/1
Bb 2/2
C 3/3
D 4/4
F 1/5


G 2/1
Bb 2/2
C 3/3
D 4/4
F 1/1
G 2/2
Bb 2/3
C 3/4
D 1/1
F 1/2
G 2/3
Bb 2/4
C 3/5

And then see what works, but you do have the problem of each octave not having the same fingering. It feels reasonably consistent with your typical maj & min scale patterns on a 5-row keyboard.

If you play your maj & min scales in 1-2-3 1-2-3-4 and 1-2-3-4 1-2-3 pattern, then with pentatonic you seem to eventually run into the problem of having to roll the thumb under the pinkie which is unnatural and hard to execute.

But I'm no expert at all. LEt's see what others say.

Much obliged

 

[Siegmund]

F1 G2 Bb3 C4 D5 fits most comfortably under the hand but leaping a whole octave to repeat the pattern is not much fun. I am accustomed to playing my regular scales moving my hands every fifth and not using the same finger pattern in every octave, rather than doing the 1234 123 1234 123 thing -- surprise, surprise, you've spotted the ex-violinist in the room -- so I would explore ways to move my hand after every 3rd or 4th note regularly.

You will probably get more inspiration from arpeggio hand positions than 7-note-scale hand positions. You can see my first suggestion as "Bb major with 1-3-5, and use the extra 2 fingers to play G and C" or as "G minor with 2-3-5, and use the extra 2 fingers to play F and C". If I wanted to explore alternatives for pentatonic I think I'd start by revisiting an exercise where I played G-Bb-D Bb-D-G D-G-Bb G-Bb-D or F-Bb-D Bb-D-F D-F-Bb F-Bb-D and seeing if I could do it with three non-consecutive fingers in all three inversions.

I would guess I'd come up with something that requires moving my hand 3 times per 2 octaves.

 

[Random Johnny]

F1 G2 Bb3 C4 D5 fits most comfortably under the hand but leaping a whole octave to repeat the pattern is not much fun. I am accustomed to playing my regular scales moving my hands every fifth and not using the same finger pattern in every octave, rather than doing the 1234 123 1234 123 thing -- surprise, surprise, you've spotted the ex-violinist in the room -- so I would explore ways to move my hand after every 3rd or 4th note regularly.

You will probably get more inspiration from arpeggio hand positions than 7-note-scale hand positions. You can see my first suggestion as "F major with 1-3-5, and use the extra 2 fingers to play G and C" or as "G minor with 2-3-5, and use the extra 2 fingers to play F and C". If I wanted to explore alternatives for pentatonic I think I'd start by revisiting an exercise where I played G-Bb-D Bb-D-G D-G-Bb G-Bb-D or F-Bb-D Bb-D-F D-F-Bb F-Bb-D and seeing if I could do it with three non-consecutive fingers in all three inversions.

I would guess I'd come up with something that requires moving my hand 3 times per 2 octaves.

Again respectfully thank you, I will practice this coming weeks.