The pentatonic scale has five notes per octave. It is one of the most universal scales in music: it appears in the folk music of almost every culture and is the basis of melody in blues, rock, pop and jazz. It has two main forms: the major pentatonic and the minor pentatonic.
What is a pentatonic scale?
It is a scale of five pitches that you get from the major scale by removing the two notes that create half steps (UK: semitones), and so the most tension. With no half steps, all its notes "fit" together, which makes the scale very easy to use for improvising.
Major pentatonic
It is built from degrees 1, 2, 3, 5 and 6 of the major scale (the 4th and 7th are removed). On C: C · D · E · G · A. It has a happy, open character, typical of folk and country music.
Minor pentatonic
It is built from degrees 1, ♭3, 4, 5 and ♭7 of the minor scale. On A: A · C · D · E · G. It is the scale of guitar solos par excellence and the basis of the blues scale.
How the two are related
Just like relative keys, the minor pentatonic has exactly the same notes as the major pentatonic a minor 3rd above it: A minor pentatonic = C major pentatonic.
| Type | Degrees | Example | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| Major pentatonic | 1 · 2 · 3 · 5 · 6 | C D E G A | Happy, bright |
| Minor pentatonic | 1 · ♭3 · 4 · 5 · ♭7 | A C D E G | Dark, bluesy |
Why it is used so much
Because it has no half steps, no note "clashes" with the harmony: any note of the pentatonic scale sounds good over the chords of the key. That is why it is the first scale people learn for improvising and the backbone of blues, rock and pop.
Well-known pentatonic melodies
Many popular melodies move only through the five notes of a pentatonic scale. Here are two examples in the major pentatonic; press ▶ to listen to them.
Amazing Grace, in G major pentatonic
The opening of "Amazing grace, how sweet the sound" uses only G, A, B, D and E: degrees 1, 2, 3, 5 and 6 of G major, with no C and no F♯ (the 4th and 7th). It starts with a pickup (anacrusis), has an eighth-note triplet in the first measure (UK: bar), and the last measure is incomplete because this is only an excerpt.
Auld Lang Syne, in F major pentatonic
"Should auld acquaintance be forgot, and never brought to mind" moves only through F, G, A, C and D: the F major pentatonic. It is in 4/4, with a pickup, and the last measure is also incomplete.
The major pentatonic scale in all keys
The major pentatonic scale written from each of the 15 keys, with its correct spelling and its staff:
| Type | Degrees | Example | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| Major pentatonic | 1 · 2 · 3 · 5 · 6 | C D E G A | Bright, cheerful |
| Minor pentatonic | 1 · ♭3 · 4 · 5 · ♭7 | A C D E G | Dark, bluesy |
Staff in each key
The minor pentatonic scale in all keys
The minor pentatonic scale written from each of the 15 keys, with its correct spelling and its staff:
| Key | 1 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 6 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C | C | D | E | G | A |
| G | G | A | B | D | E |
| D | D | E | F♯ | A | B |
| A | A | B | C♯ | E | F♯ |
| E | E | F♯ | G♯ | B | C♯ |
| B | B | C♯ | D♯ | F♯ | G♯ |
| F♯ | F♯ | G♯ | A♯ | C♯ | D♯ |
| C♯ | C♯ | D♯ | E♯ | G♯ | A♯ |
| F | F | G | A | C | D |
| B♭ | B♭ | C | D | F | G |
| E♭ | E♭ | F | G | B♭ | C |
| A♭ | A♭ | B♭ | C | E♭ | F |
| D♭ | D♭ | E♭ | F | A♭ | B♭ |
| G♭ | G♭ | A♭ | B♭ | D♭ | E♭ |
| C♭ | C♭ | D♭ | E♭ | G♭ | A♭ |
Staff in each key
