Pentatonic scales contain exactly 5 notes, exclusive of the octave.
Pentatonic scales are commonly used in music from Africa and Asia.
Pentatonic scales commonly used in jazz are the major and minor pentatonic scales:
C major pentatonic scale: C D E G A C
A minor pentatonic scale: A C D E G A
Major and minor pentatonic belong to the same modal family with the minor pentatonic scale containingthe same notes as the major pentatnoic scale a minor 3rd above.
Major pentatonic scale — also known as the diatonic pentatonic scale, consists of the ascending pattern: W W m3 W m3
It may also be thought of as a major scal with the 4th and 7th notes omitted.
Major pentatonic scales may also be used over maj7 and dom7 chords.
For maj 7th chords, there are 3 options:
1. the major pentatonic scale built on the root of the chord
C D E G A C
2. the major pentatonic scale built on the 5th of the chord
G A B D E G
3. the major pentatonic scale built on the 9th of the chod
D E F# (+11) A B D
— The first choice contains the smallest number of chord extensions, the latter choice the greatest, including the #11 of the chord.
When using the pentatonic scale over unaltered dom 7th chords, the major pentatonic scale built on the root of the chord is the best choice.
When improvising o dom chords with altered 5ths and 9ths, the major pentatonic scale a tritone (dim 5th) away from the root of the chord works best.
This option contains alterations of both the 5ths and the 9th:
C7 — C D E G A C
C7+9+5 — Gb Ab Bb Db Eb Gb
MAJOR pentatonic scales also maybe used when improvising over ii-V-I progressions.
If the V chord is unaltered, the major pentatonic built on the root of the I chord or the V chord may be used over all 3 chords in the progression:
Dm7 G7 CM7
Dm7 – C D E G A C
G7 – C D E G A C
CM7 – C D E G A C
Dm7 G7 CM7
Dm7 — G A B D E G
G7 — G A B D E G
CM7 – G A B D E G
If the dominant chord is altered,t he major pentatonic scale a tritone away from the root of the dominant chord should be used over the V chord:
Dm7 — C D E G A C
G7 +9+5 — Db Eb F Ab Bb Db
CM7 — C D E G A C
Dm7 — G A B D E G
G7 +0+5 — Eb Eb F Ab Bb Db
CM7 — G A B D E G
Tags: pentatonic