Pentatonic Major Scale

The Five-Note Major Scale

The pentatonic major scale is a five-note scale built by removing the 4th and 7th degrees from the major scale.

Starting from C: C-D-E-G-A-C.

By removing the two notes that create half steps (F and B), every remaining interval is a whole step or larger. This makes the pentatonic major scale extremely versatile — it sounds good over almost any major chord progression.

C Pentatonic Major Scale

Study the C pentatonic major scale ascending. Notice how removing F and B eliminates all half-step tension from the scale.

Play C Pentatonic Major

• Play the C pentatonic major scale ascending and descending
• Notice the wider intervals compared to the full major scale
• Try improvising short melodies using only these five notes