Understanding Pentatonic Scales

Scales are patterns of notes that work in a sequence. Today, we're going to take a closer look at pentatonic scales.

C Major Pentatonic

The first one we'll explore is the C major pentatonic. It looks like this:

• You can also play it up to the next octave.
• If you'd like to do it that way, I recommend starting with your two finger on C.

Common Uses

Pentatonic scales are quite common in popular music. You might recognize them in songs like:

• Amazing Grace
• Shape of You by Ed Sheeran

A Minor Pentatonic

Next, let's have a look at the A minor pentatonic.

• It's got the same notes as C major pentatonic, but we will start on A.
• If you want to play that in the full octave, once again, I recommend starting with your two finger on A.

Helpful Tips

A helpful tip for memorizing the notes for these two scales is to remember that they don't have B or F. You can just skip over these notes.

Major vs. Minor

You may have noticed that:

• Major pieces tend to have an uplifting or happy quality. They follow a specific sequence of semitones and whole tones.
• Minor pieces, on the other hand, sound a bit more melancholy or even scary. They will also follow a specific set of semitones and tones.

We'll learn more about this later on.

Black Keys and Improvisation

Interestingly, the black keys on the piano also form a pentatonic scale.

• You can do some great improvisation just by playing the black keys.
• Explore the black notes to find some fantastic little improvisational tunes!