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You don't need to be in pentatonic at all.  You could choose from any of the seven modal scales presented this way (B dorian, C prygian, D lydian, E myxolidian, etc...) as all of them share the same key signature, and thus the same notes.  Each of those modes comes with a pentatonic form, too, so you're looking at 14 different options out of one scale pattern.

You're right in that melodically you'll want to resolving with the chord changes, but that becomes a whole lot easier once you stop worrying about whether the next note you play is going to sound odd.  Commit those patterns to muscle memory and you're now free to actually think about what you want to sound like.

Go Cardinal!

I think LSU will win, too.  Alabama's offensive line is awesome and they've basically been winning by smashing their way down the field. It's great old fashioned smash mouth football.  I don't think they'll be able to do that as well against LSU's defense.  The Tiger's defensive line is just as mean and dominating as the Alabama O-line.  I think that's what wins it for LSU.

Stanford is at Oregon State this week, which is going to be a bit of a different game than next week's Stanford vs University of Oregon match up.  The Stanford cheerleaders could beat the OSU Beavers.

Oregon is going to beat Washington this Saturday in a game with an over/under at 75 points.  Yaay for mediocre defenses and good offenses!   I say it goes over, and ends up with a score more appropriate for the basketball teams with both squads scoring over 40 points.

That is all.  The Mrs. is in Ireland for a couple of weeks, so I plan on doing nothing on Saturday besides watching football and playing the guitar really loud.

Ain't that the truth.  One of the things I wish I could do over is to go back and pay attention in math.  I clearly remember thinking "Who needs this stuff?!"  Now I live in a world where quadratic equations, least square regressions,  and modular number systems are every day occurrences for me.

Thank Gawd for spreadsheets. 

I think layering is a good idea.   That way the song would have some cohesiveness to it.  I just picked up a Korg nanoPad MIDI drum pad, so I'm itching to use it. 

I am cursed with broad and varied interests, which is why I have no time.

I love SCUBA diving, which ties in with a general love of the ocean.  I sat on the board of directors for the Washington Scuba Alliance, and still consult with them occasionally. I started and was the executive director for an artificial reef foundation.  I did that up until I got divorced seven or eight years ago.   

I'm a fiend for ridiculously fast motorcycles.  I have two in the garage (one stupid fast, the other only kind of fast).   I haven't been arrested in a while, so I guess that means I'm getting old.     I am a good mechanic as a result. I love rebuilding engines and working on mechanical stuff.

I am a damn fine cook, and do all of the meal preparation in the house.  This is something that pretty much everyone in my family shares.  My father was a great cook, my mother is the undisputed kitchen master, and all three of my sisters are also demons in the kitchen.   I have no desire to do this commercially, though. I've got business plans written for cafes and restaurants, but the reality is that it is a brutal business requiring more skin than I've got.  It's why most of them go broke.   I do it because I love food.

I'm an avid history buff.  History was my declared major in college way back when. I particularly like the expansion period in US history. Pretty much everything between the Louisiana Purchase and Reconstruction.  Lewis and Clark are a particular interest. I have the complete Thwaties edition of the journals, but want to get the Moulton revisions since they seem to be all the rage.

I like explosions and gunfire.  I plan on building a massive potato cannon for use off my back porch.  Shelling bass and carpie in the lake will be hours of entertainment. Relevant to my history fetish, I'd also like to build a black powder rifle, preferably a Springfield model 1795 like the ones carried on the Lewis and Clark expedition. I'd also love to find a replica of the Girondoni air rifle carried by Lewis. Something about a .50 caliber pellet gun capable of knocking down deer gets me excited.

I am a secret novelist.  I write short fiction and submit them to Asimov's and other science fiction journals for rejection. Never been published. Don't expect to ever be published. I'm still writing anyway.

I love astrophysics, space, and telescopes. I've built two telescopes (4" f10) and have a 10" Meade in my possession. I am designing a 16" Dobsonian with digital setting circles.   I used to work with a group called "Think Up!" that promoted astrosciences to kids.  We'd provide schools with plans and materials for those 4" f10s, and set up star parties in public places for people to come and peek at the heavens.  I attend star parties way out in the boon docks on occasion, and really enjoy that.  One of my Google calendars is the "phases of the moon" so I know when the viewing will be good.

With the new house, I'm finding that I really enjoy gardening.  I'm harvesting my first season of Daylilly and Crocosmia bulbs this fall, and planning a massive tomato and pepper bed for next spring.   I've also had my first Orchid rebloom this season. Thing went nuts and left 8 flowers on the stem.

I love photography, and have had some success with macro shots.   I've owned Cannon film (AE-1) and Nikon film (F4) and just recently bought a DX format Nikon (D-3100) that I'm really enjoying.   This is one area where GAS is also endemic, but I have mostly been successful in fighting it off.  I haven't gone and spent $3500 on that fixed 300mm fast lens, even though I really need to.  No honey!  Seriously! I need it!

Here's a Daylilly in my front yard taken with that camera.

Things I'm not good at but wish I were:  I can not sharpen a knife or put a lasting shine on a boot to save my life.  I am the worlds worst carpenter, something my wife doesn't want to come to grips with.  I wish I could whittle, or do fine furniture making or other artistic woodworking.  This is my primary concern about building my own guitars, which I would love to do.  I can not draw pictures beyond stick figures.

I have one simple rule when it comes to plumbing;  "If there is plumbing involved, there will be swearing."

Another tip: Keep the guitar accessible.  Buy a guitar stand for it and put the stand wherever you park your butt during the evening. Leave the guitar there.  Guitars that are easy to pick up will get played more often, making it much simpler to practice whenever you feel like it.   If you have to haul it out of it's case every time, it becomes a chore.

I'm still working ont the amp (lots of caps to get replaced) but I've played the guitar a bit.   The tuning pegs are original, and will either need rebuilt or replaced.  When I do that, I'll restring it with some John Pearce strings, as big, fat, and gnarly as I can find.

The only thing that is going to help you learn faster is to practice every day.  There are no shortcuts. You have to train your hands and your mind. Be patient and persistent, and you'll be fine.

Start with chords.  Start with these five chords.

C A G E D

Everything else will fall out of that.