Pentatonic scales

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

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