The Major Pentatonic Scale
The major pentatonic scale is happy and bright,
and finds itself used in country, rockabilly, and
bright rock sounds.
The major pentatonic scale contains five notes
just like the other pentatonic scales and derived
from a major scale by skipping the 4th and 7th
degrees. In other words; It is first, second, third,
fifth and sixth notes of the major scale.
The major pentatonic scale works in all the
places a major scale works. In addition, if any
scales contains this five notes the major pentatonic scale
would work for this scales too. For example C major
pentatonic scale is contained in G melodic minor
scale. It would work for some melodic minor
modes and also some other major modes. For example C
minor pentatonic scale is contained in Bb major
scale.
|
 |
The fourth and seventh notes of
the major scale marked red. If you play the
major scale just skipping these two notes what
you play is exactly the major pentatonic
scale. Major
pentatonic scale formula:
1
2 3 5
6 |
 |
|
G - A - B -
C - D - E -
F#
G major scale
|
=>
C and F# skipped
(4th, 7th) |
G - A - B - D -
E
G major pentatonic
scale
|
Every major pentatonic scale has a relative minor
scale which has exactly the same notes. If you do
not have any idea about what is a
relative/parallel minor, what is a
relative/parallel major or what is a key
signature please visit the Key Signatures and
Relative/Parallel Keys lessons.
The relative minor scale of G major pentatonic
scale is E minor pentatonic scale.
| |
|
|
|
|
You can easily see that G major
pentatonic scale and E minor pentatonic scale
have the same notes. Because they are relative
minor and relative major of eachothers.
According to this information we can sure say
that they have exactly the same scale boxes and
scale patterns on the fretboard. We discuss this
subject in scale box patterns lessons. |
 |
|
G Major Pentatonic
Scale
G - A - B - D -
E |
|
E Minor Pentatonic
Scale
E - G - A - B -
D |
If you are playing a major pentatonic scale and
know the relative minor of this major key, you can
also play the relative minor pentatonic scale of
this major scale just changing the root note or vice
versa.
Is it confusing? Okay, please take a look the images
above G Major pentatonic scale and E minor
pentatonic scale. They both have exactly the same
notes. Then what makes them different. The
difference is intervals in the scales and the key
notes of course. If you know one, it means you also
know the other. But the minor pentatonic scale
sounds bluesy and dark while the major one sounds
happy and bright. Because the major pentatonic
scale does not contain b3 and b7 intervals which
makes the scale blue. | 