How to create a pentatonic scale
What makes up the pentatonic scale?
The major pentatonic scale is made up of five notes, the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 5th and 6th degrees of the major scale. In the key of C that would be: C, D, E, G and A. As you can see above, it’s very similar to C major scale but doesn’t contain the 4th or 7th degrees.
What are the 5 positions of the pentatonic scale?
Minor pentatonic scale patterns – the 5 positions
As we learned in the minor pentatonic scale lesson, this scale has just 5 tones – 1 (root), b3 (minor 3rd), 4 (perfect 4th), 5 (perfect 5th) and b7 (minor 7th). 1 is our root note, and wherever that note lies is the key of the scale.
What are the 5 notes in the A major pentatonic scale?
A major pentatonic or five note scale can be constructed from a major scale by using a simple formula. A major pentatonic (five note scale) is formed by choosing the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 5th and 6th notes of a major scale. So therefore, the C major pentatonic or five note scale includes the keys of C, D, E, G, A.
How do you derive a pentatonic scale from a major scale?
To derive the major pentatonic scale from the major scale (we’ll get to the minor later), simply remove the 4th and 7th degrees, which leaves you with five notes per octave.
Why is the pentatonic scale so popular?
Pentatonic scales are so popular because the pattern is very easy to remember and many beginners start with it. Also Pentatonic is very versatile and is used a LOT in Rock music. Peace. Pentatonic scales are so popular because the pattern is very easy to remember and many beginners start with it.
What are the scale degrees in a minor pentatonic scale?
A minor pentatonic contains scale degrees 1, b3, 4, 5, and b7.
What is the difference between major pentatonic and minor pentatonic?
Major and Minor Pentatonic Scale
The pentatonic scale can be major or minor. The major pentatonic scale contains 5 notes of the major scale, and the minor pentatonic scale contains 5 notes of the minor scale.
What are the 5 minor pentatonic scales?
The 5 Minor Pentatonic Positions
- C Minor Pentatonic, 1-4-6 Position.
- C Minor Pentatonic, 2-4 Position.
- C Minor Pentatonic, 2-5 Position.
- C Minor Pentatonic, 3-5 Position.
- C Minor Pentatonic, 1-3-6 Position.
Which country uses pentatonic scale?
A variety of pentatonic scales occur in the musics of Native Americans, sub-Saharan Africans, and East and Southeast Asians (e.g., the five-tone slendro scale of the Javanese), as well as in many European folk melodies.
Does Japan use pentatonic scale?
A variety of musical scales are used in traditional Japanese music. While a twelve-tone (dodecaphonic) Chinese scale has influenced Japanese music since the Heian period, in practice Japanese traditional music is often based on pentatonic (five tone) or heptatonic (seven tone) scales.
How old is the pentatonic scale?
Ancient History and Pentatonic Scales in Music
These musical instruments were found to be tuned to the pentatonic scale, with the theory that they are about 50,000 years old.
How many minor pentatonic scales are there?
There are five different patterns to the minor pentatonic scale. Each has its own personality and adds its own feeling to a guitar lick. To be truly free to improvise across the entire fretboard, you need to know all five of them. Learn all the patterns thoroughly and also learn them in different keys.
How do you practice a minor pentatonic scale?
Is there a minor pentatonic scale?
With C major (the relative major of A minor) being one of the most commonly used in popular music, the A minor pentatonic scale provides a nice, basic template for lead guitarists to create riffs and improvise solos. Like the C major scale, the A minor pentatonic scale contains no sharps or flats.
How do you use a minor pentatonic scale?
For instance, to play the A minor pentatonic scale (A C D E G), just shift everything up two frets, as string 1, fret 5 is an A; going down two frets from G minor pentatonic gets you F minor pentatonic (F Ab Bb C Eb). For a good workout, try playing the blues box in different keys, both ascending and descending.
Should I learn pentatonic scales?
The pentatonic scale is the foundation for almost every other scale there is. Learning this foundation will set you up to easily play the other scales. Especially the blues scale, natural minor scale, harmonic minor scale, and the melodic minor scale. It will increase your confidence in playing dramatically.
What can I play a minor pentatonic over?
Blues is the most common example of minor pentatonic being used over a major key progression (the 1 4 5 progression – that’s E A B in E major). Now, if you’ve studied music for any length of time, you’ll probably have been conditioned never to mix your major and minor 3rds.
Why is it called a minor pentatonic scale?
Pentatonic scales contain five notes, which is how it gets its name (Penta=5, tonic = tones). There is a major pentatonic scale and a minor pentatonic scale. The awesome part is that they contain the same note intervals (with differing roots), so the patterns are the same.
Should I learn minor or major pentatonic?
Pentatonic/blues is a good first scale to learn if you just want to get playing. Then if you want to take your knowledge further, the minor scale is only two extra notes, and it gives you access to all of the above and a whole world more. I would suggest a major scale.
What chords to play over a minor pentatonic?
Here are some common minor key chord progressions:
- i – VII – VI – VII chord progression.
- i – iv – v – i chord progression. In the key of A that is = Am Dm Em Am. In the key of E that is = Em Am Bm Em.
- Basic 12 Bar Blues Shuffle. The shuffle is an eighth note rhythmic feel based on triplets.
What key is a minor pentatonic?
In the key of E minor, the notes within the minor pentatonic scale are E, G, A, B and D. Playing from E to E generates a six-note series to complete the octave. To have a single pattern that works anywhere on the fretboard, we’ll first find the fourth of the key, which is the note, A.
Which pentatonic scales go with which chords?
It is hard to go wrong with Pentatonic Scales. They limit themselves to 5 notes that work well over many different chords. The rule is to use Major pentatonic scales over major chords and minor pentatonic scales over minor chords. This works well for most chords.