Music theory - Pentatonic scales for electric bass

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Pentatonic Scales

Major pentatonic scales

A major pentatonic scale comes from a major scale by removing the 4th and 7th degrees. So a major pentatonic scale consists of only the 1 2 3 5 6 of the major scale.

C D E F G A B C - C major scale
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1 - scale functions

Basic major scale
functions indicated

|--2--|-----|--3--|--4--| -1st string
|--6--|-----|--7--|--1--|
|--3--|--4--|-----|--5--|
|-----|--1--|-----|--2--| -4th string

It may seem funny, but the formula for a major pentatonic scale is 1 2 3 5 6. The G may be the 4th note in a major pentatonic scale, but it is not considered a "4". Remember that the numbers that you see in music are in relationship to the major scale. And in a C major scale, G is the 5th note.

C D E G A C- C major scale
1 2 3 5 6 1 - scale functions

Basic major pentatonic scale
functions indicated

|--2--|-----|--3--|-----| -1st string
|--6--|-----|-----|--1--|
|--3--|-----|-----|--5--|
|-----|--1--|-----|--2--| -4th string

For a reference page with all major pentatonic scale forms click the button below.

Page 1, Major and minor scale review

Page 3, Minor pentatonic scales