Jazz Trumpet Licks

This is an easy pentatonic pattern to learn. This pentatonic pattern is easy to learn and use in your solos because it can also be used as an exercise as well.

Here is a sound sample on trumpet:

How to memorize this pentatonic lick in 12 keys:

This pentatonic pattern is simply going down the pentatonic scale one note at a time. You can see that each group of four notes starts on the 2nd note from the last group of four notes. Since this is a pentatonic scale, you’ll never have to worry about going out of the scale. You can use the above lick as a major pentatonic or a minor pentatonic.

If you learn pentatonics in all major keys, you are also learning them in minor keys. If you decide learning pentatonics in major is easier, then you’ll just go up a minor 3rd. Like the above example. If you are in A minor, just go up a minor 3rd and play the C major pentatonic pattern. Or vice verse, C major, go up a 6th and think A minor pentatonic.

I’ve had discussions with fellow Jazz musicians, and most think it’s more beneficial to learn your pentatonics in minor. It’s really up to you though.