Another Look At Flatted 5th and Sharp 7th

Here we re-visit George's use of "optional notes," which are notes that fall outside the pentatonic or natural minor scales. As George believes, these notes add "...a slightly weirder sound and pile on the tension." Knowing when to use these outside notes is a matter of conviction. "If you approach an 'outside' idea half-heartedly, it'll stand out like a sore thumb and sound like an awful mistake!" says George.

Figure 1 below is an example set in A-minor. The reason we refer back to this is because the flatted 5th/ raised 7th plays a major role in future exercises and examples of George's signature technique.