The b3 against the natural 3rd. First think of the 3 notes that can be the first note of a solo over a chord. The root, the 3rd and the 5th. In melodies that start on the 3rd above the chord (E over C major) and remain the principle note. The b3 actually acts as a leading tone to the 3rd. So like the b7, the b3 resolves up. The same can be said for the b5 in a blues minor pent. The b5 plays the leading tone role when the melody over a chord when the 5th is the principle note.
Superimposing a minor pent (blues) over a major key gives leading tones to each chord tone of the triad. b3 to 3, b5 to 5, and the bebop sequence b7 to 7 to root.
A minor pent over C major is cool. It depends on what you want, afterall the A minor pent is no different from the C major pent, except you start on a different note. Which can lead to alittle confusion, especially if you study your pents in all 5 positions. For some though it is easier to understand.
All the notes do sound ok, but that can become very monotonous. Imposing contrasting scales over a harmony, creates more colorful and exotic melodies. Some jazz musicians will actually play one scale over a completely different one. Say the harmony follows in a C minor direction, the solo maybe be played using the C locrian mode. Yes alot of wrong notes but wrong notes only sound wrong when they are played with right notes. When all wrong notes are played, they set a texture to them selves and then the right notes suddenly sound wrong. It's a very advanced concept, but true. Just listen to some turn of the century composers and early 20th jazz.
Hopefully that makes sense.
[Edited by noticingthemistake on 02-15-2004 at 12:13 PM]
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