I looked at the fusion of the minor and major pents as being a mixolydian scale with an added b3. Regardless there are many ways to look at it. Throwing out all theory and just looking at music as it's simple definition, "organized sound". You'll probably agree that once this is done a lot of what music theory is complex about suddenly makes sense in a simple manner. Take scales, I'm going to use the major scale. It's called the major scale because it's an organized range of notes that produces a major sound. Pents, modes, and any other scales work in the same way. Often you just have to look at the name it's given to understand what kind of sound your going to get from using it, example blues scales.

When I hear the fusion pent scale in my head, it reminds me of a Dominant yet bluesy sound. Hence Mixolydian with a b3. Fuse the Blues Scales together and it's the same sound although a little more bluesy because of the added b5.

Scales and Chords are related in sound. Take the Mixolydian scale and the dominant 7 chord. Play a E dominant 7 chord, then play the E mixolydian scale. They reflect the same sound or at least it's quality, because they are a perfect match. Play a E major 7 chord and then the E mixolydian scale and they are similar but not matched. This is mainly why a mixolydian mode works differently and sometimes not very good over a E major chord progression. Although that was a simple explanation, the same goes with the fused pent scale. It works fairly because certain notes sound off during certain chords (especially minor) and it changes as the (major or minor) chord progression moves. You then end up with less notes which are already apparent in regular major or minor scales. So it acts just like a mode does over a C.P out of key.

I see how your saying it's a good way to find those other scales. Scales are beneficial because they open the musician up to new organized sounds and the understanding of how to incorporate those into music. Like you learn how to play bluesy music by learning the blues scales. The thing is, I’m not seeing any use for the fusion scale in context of harmonic generalization. Do you use it for this?? If so how?? I would like to understand.

Music theory itself didn't exist until someone decided to make sense out of something someone else played. This is why I think Classical theory and Jazz theory can't explain each other. They are different forms of music and the way they are produced is different in so many ways. I also think there are many other theories out there that haven't even evolved yet cause no one is yet to produce that form of music. So yeah you can be a musician without knowing much about the theory behind it cause you just play what sounds right. I believe music evolves mostly because of this. Although previous music theory must be understood first to evolve to the next step. And music theory and above all the understanding of sound makes a player that much better.

[Edited by noticingthemistake on 04-24-2003 at 07:43 PM]