What's a Pentatonic Scale?

A pentatonic scale is a musical scale with five notes per octave, in contrast to the heptatonic scale, which has seven notes per octave. Pentatonic scales were developed independently by many ancient civilizations and are still used in various musical styles to this day.

What are the 5 notes in the pentatonic scale?

Major pentatonic scale

One construction takes five consecutive pitches from the circle of fifths; starting on C, these are C, G, D, A, and E. Transposing the pitches to fit into one octave rearranges the pitches into the major pentatonic scale: C, D, E, G, A.

What is the pentatonic scale and why is it used?

The pentatonic scale is the most common scale used for playing rock lead because it sounds great over every chord change in a key, and you can begin to make music with it almost immediately. There are three ways to play the pentatonic scale pattern for lead guitar solo: A progression in a major key.

Chloe Bennett

Chloe Bennett

Culture, Media & Entertainment Columnist

Chloe Bennett explores the intersection of pop culture, streaming entertainment, digital trends, and contemporary lifestyle. Her weekly commentary reaches thousands of culture enthusiasts.