The Pentatonic Question...

I've been playing around making backingtracks with the use of chord progressions, I've done both major and minor scales....

That's pretty easy, and then, after making a track with the sound of ukulele or piano in FruityLoops that repeats itself,
I start playing scales on the guitar, that way I get the feel of how scales work and learn to make improvs...

I'm sure it would be easier to have a keyboard infront of me, and make the progressions that way, but anyway...
My problem is the penatonic scale, and how to make chord progressions out of that...

First problem, "jguitar.com" and "pianoworld.com" shows two different C Major Pentatonic scales:

jguitar: C D E G A ( It seems like this is the right one )
pianoworld: C D F G A

Who's the correct one? My next problem is, only 5 keys, is it possible to make a good sounding chord progression with that few?
JGuitar got this: "chords that sound good with a C Major Pentatonic scale", and lists a list with all chords that sounds good...

But I cant get a good sounding chord progression, if I use the C ( I ) - A ( vi ) - D ( ii ) - G ( V )....

These chords sound good together with the C Major Pentatonic:
C Major
A Minor
C Suspended 2nd
D Suspended 2nd
G Suspended 2nd
D Suspended 4th
G Suspended 4th
A Suspended 4th
E Minor Sharp 5th
E Minor Double Flat 5th
A Minor Double Flat 5th
E Suspended 4th Sharp 5th
A Minor 7th
E Minor 7th Sharp 5th
C 6th
C 6th Add 9th
D 9th Suspended 4th
D 7th Suspended 2nd
D 7th Suspended 4th
A 7th Suspended 4th
E 7th Suspended 4th Sharp 5th
D Suspended 2nd Suspended 4th
G Suspended 2nd Suspended 4th
D 7th Suspended 2nd Suspended 4th
C 5th
D 5th
G 5th
A 5th
C Major Add 9th


And I've also read a place that all major chords sound good with the major pentatonic scale, and minor chords will sound good over minor?

"Technically speaking, any scale composed of five notes can be called a pentatonic scale (penta = five and tonic = notes). In the real world, however, learning only two different pentatonic scales will cover 99.9% of the playing situations that you will encounter. These two scales are referred to as the MAJOR PENTATONIC and the MINOR PENTATONIC.

This scale works very well over chord progressions that are based primarily on major chords. Try it over I-IV-V-I, V-IV-I-V or I-iv-IV-V-I." ( I havent tried it over them )

It seems I got all the information I need, but I cant figure it out, I was sure the chords had to be built within the scale, but it seems these pentatonic work within all major chords or minor chords? I'm just as confused as you are when you're done reading this.

I just got very dizzy Vic!!

I'll probably figure it out sooner or later

I figured out that C D E G A is the right...
But still struggling with the other stuff ^_^

I'm crying, the cheapest 61keys keyboards go for 1500nok, and that's 1500 waste of money...
It's not that much, but it's still 1500 that can be saved for the 11000nok stage piano instead...

^_^

Hey Victor,

I think both are pentatonic scales, as you stated before that a pentatonic scale means 5 notes. but from what I've been taught the C D F G A is the true penta tonic scale, as a major pentatonic scale is notes 1, 2, 4, 5, 6 of any major scale. In other words you skip the mediant of whatever scale you are in ^_^.

Hopefully this info doesn't confuse you more. It's possible I was taught wrong as I haven't really spent much time in pentatonic theory, I spend most of it in Diatonic theory. Although, to be honest, I don't focus much on theory at all anymore! I probably should, but i'm usually to busy teaching someone something i already know to give myself enough time to actually learn new things.

Anyway Good luck!

Read a bit on wikipedia...

"The common pentatonic major and minor scales (C-D-E-G-A and C-Eb-F-G-Bb, respectively) are useful in modal composing,
as both scales allow a melody to be modally ambiguous between their respective major (Ionian, Lydian, Mixolydian) and
minor (Aeolian, Phrygian, Dorian) modes (Locrian excluded)."

But the C Major Pentatonic could also be F,G,A,C,D and another also.

"Ethnomusicology commonly classifies pentatonic scales as either hemitonic or anhemitonic.
Hemitonic scales contain one or more semitones and anhemitonic scales do not contain semitones."

I'm really confused, how should I know what scale to use?

That's interesting, I've always been taught a penta tonic scale is notes 1,2,4,5,6 of a major scale. I haven't fooled around with this concept very much, tell you what, when I get down to vancouver I'll ask someone who knows about this. To me, it sounds like the person who wrote that is trying to boost his ego by making things sound more complicated than they are. (I hate when people do that) then again, maybe he's not, who really knows!

Either way I believe you can use what ever you choose to use, whatever tickles your fancy ^_^

Admin Andrew wrote:
Either way I believe you can use what ever you choose to use, whatever tickles your fancy ^_^

Yup Thats a good advice! And I also see you Victor using that same advice to others in other topics Maybe listen to your self on this one(and andrew of course) hehe

Hey guys, I'm studying some theory at the moment and thought I might be able to help.

Andrew is definitely right on this one (no surprise! ;-) The most commonly used pentatonic scale is 1,2,4,5,and 6 of the major scale (i.e. C,D,F,G,A). This is the one very common in folk songs esp. old Scottish folk songs. HOWEVER, technically any formation of 5 notes from the major or minor scale can be considered a pentatonic, as it literally means 5 (penta) from the root (tonic). The key thing is that the tonic (C) must be present (and usually stressed) and the leading note (7) is not present, because the leading note gives the strong push towards the tonic which gives the strong major or minor feeling... pentatonics and other modes should be "tonally ambiguous" as it says above...

Now I just read my answer and not sure if I helped or confused more!