So far this year we’ve been talking about 7 note scales also known as Heptatonic Scales.
The Pentatonic Scale is a 5 note scale based off a Heptatonic 7 note scale. Pente is a Greek word meaning five and tonic meaning tone. The major pentatonic scale uses the scale degrees 1,2,3,5,6. So if you were in the key of C Major those five notes would be C,D,E,G,A and back to C.
Let’s see what that would look like on the treble staff…
And now on the piano keyboard…
You could literally go around the Circle of Fifths and build a Major Pentatonic Scale off any of the 7 note Major scales.
Until next time practice building and playing your major pentatonic scales!