Pentatonic Scale Fundamentals
This is the first in a series of free lessons about how to use major/minor pentatonic scales in ways one might not expect. The intent of this lesson is to provide some basic background and information about major and minor pentatonic scales.
It should be noted that major pentatonic scales and their relative minor pentatonic scales share the exact same notes. For example:
Let’s compare C major and A minor
C major: C D E G A
A minor: A C D E G
These two scales share the exact same notes. However, the meaning/quality of these notes are determined by the where the scale starts (the root note).
For instance, D the note is the 2nd degree of the c major pentatonic scale but it’s the 4th degree of A minor.
Chord/Scale Relationships
The most typical use for the C major pentatonic scale is over major-type chords such as: C, Cmaj7, C6, C7 and the relevant extensions of those chords.
The most typical use for the A minor pentatonic scale is over minor-type chords such as: Am, Am7, Am6 and the relevant extensions of those chords.
In upcoming lessons in this series, this information will become useful when taking these two pentatonic scales and superimposing them on various chords.