Pentatonic and blues · Other scales · Music theory
The pentatonic scale has five notes and no half steps. That is why it has no leading tone and no tritone, and its notes sound good in almost any order. It…
Pentatonic and blues
The pentatonic scale has five notes and no half steps. That is why it has no leading tone and no tritone, and its notes sound good in almost any order. It appears in folk music all over the world, and the black keys of the piano form one.
The major pentatonic takes degrees I, II, III, V and VI of the major scale. The minor one is the same notes starting on VI: C–D–E–G–A and A–C–D–E–G.
The blues scale adds to the minor pentatonic a passing note between IV and V, the diminished 5th: A–C–D–E♭–E–G.
Where they sound
The pentatonic is in the folk music of half the world. Its lack of half steps means any combination of notes works, which is why it is so used for improvising. The blues scale is the basis of that language and of rock, and its blue notes are often sung or bent between two pitches.