Jazz Scale - Pentatonic Scales

Pentatonic Scales

Two pentatonic scales common to jazz are the major pentatonic scale and the minor pentatonic scale. They are both modes to each other, respectively.

The major pentatonic scale begins with a major scale and omits the fourth and the seventh scale degrees. The C major scale is ( C, D, E, F, G, A, B ), so the C major pentatonic scale is ( C, D, E, G, A ) :

The minor pentatonic scale uses the same notes as the major pentatonic scale, but begins on the sixth scale degree of the corresponding major scale. Continuing the example above, A is the sixth scale degree of C major, so the A minor pentatonic scale would be ( A, C, D, E, G ) :

The nomenclature, "minor pentatonic scale," minor is employed in the sense of relative key, as the diatonic A minor scale is the relative minor of the diatonic C major scale.

The minor pentatonic scale replaces the 2nd scale degree with an augmented 4 followed by the fifth and is commonly known as a blues scale.

Jazz improvisers, particularly bassist and guitarist, use these scales in a number of interesting ways. For example, over Bb Maj7#11, one can use a major pentatonic based on the 2nd scale degree of Bb (C D E G A) to imply 9, 3, ♯11, 13, and 7 respectively. Similarly, over a fully altered F#7 chord, one can use the same major pentatonic, this time based on the tritone (C D E G A) to imply ♭5, ♭13, ♭7, ♭9, and ♯9.