Definition of Pentatonic scale
A pentatonic scale is a musical scale with five notes per octave, in contrast to heptatonic scales, which have seven notes per octave (such as the major scale and minor scale).
Pentatonic scales were developed independently by many ancient civilizations and are still used in various musical styles to this day. As Leonard Bernstein put it: "The universality of this scale is so well known that I'm sure you could give me examples of it, from all corners of the earth, as from Scotland, or from China, or from Africa, and from American Indian cultures, from East Indian cultures, from Central and South America, Australia, Finland... now, that is a true musico-linguistic universal." There are two types of pentatonic scales: those with semitones (hemitonic) and those without (anhemitonic).
Related terms
Anhemitonic scale
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Tritonic scale
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Tetratonic scale
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Saptak
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Questions people ask
Real questions from the Stack Exchange community – follow a link to read the discussion.
- Difference between minor and major pentatonic scale boxes? · Music SE
- The notes outside the major scale form a pentatonic scale · Music SE
- Why are the 4th and 7th scale degrees removed from the major scale to make the Pentatonic scale? · Music SE
- Different modes of pentatonic scale · Music SE
- How did the audience guess the pentatonic scale in Bobby McFerrin's presentation? · Music SE
Frequently asked questions
What is Pentatonic scale?
A pentatonic scale is a musical scale with five notes per octave, in contrast to heptatonic scales, which have seven notes per octave (such as the major scale and minor scale).