What Is a Pentatonic Scale?

A major pentatonic scale can be built from five notes obtained by stacking perfect fifths and arranging them as a scale. Pentatonic scales include both major and minor forms, so this description applies specifically to the major form.

Example 1: C Major Pentatonic Scale

These scales are widely used in East Asian music and, in the forms discussed here, contain no semitones. A Western diatonic scale has seven distinct notes, or eight when the octave is included. A pentatonic scale has five distinct notes, or six including the octave. Distinguishing major and minor pentatonic forms makes the structure clearer.

A major pentatonic scale contains five notes and can be constructed by stacking perfect fifths, then arranging the resulting notes within an octave. It is equivalent to a Western major scale without its fourth and seventh degrees. (Example 1)

A minor pentatonic scale is a Western natural minor scale without its second and sixth degrees.

Example 2: A Minor Pentatonic Scale

Minanur Balcan
Rekor Sanat – Violin Teacher