Relative Major And Minor Pentatonic Scales - 4 Exercises - Lesson For Beginners

What's a Pentatonic Scale?

A pentatonic scale is a five-note musical scale commonly used in many styles of music, including rock, blues, jazz, and folk.

Its simplicity and versatility make it a favorite among musicians.

The two most common types of pentatonic scales are:

Major Pentatonic Scale:

A bright and uplifting scale derived from the major scale.
Formula: 1 (root) - 2 - 3 - 5 - 6
Example: C Major Pentatonic (C-D-E-G-A)

Minor Pentatonic Scale:

A darker, bluesier scale derived from the natural minor scale.
Formula: 1 (root) - b3 - 4 - 5 - b7
Example: A Minor Pentatonic (A-C-D-E-G)

Pentatonic scales omit notes that might cause dissonance, making them easy to use for improvisation and melody creation.

Relative Pentatonic Scales

Relative pentatonic scales are pairs of major pentatonic and minor pentatonic scales that share the same set of notes but have different starting points, just like relative major and minor scales in traditional music theory.

Relationship:

The relative minor pentatonic scale starts on the 6th degree of the major pentatonic scale.

The relative major pentatonic scale starts on the 3rd degree of the minor pentatonic scale.

Examples:

C Major Pentatonic (C-D-E-G-A)

Relative Minor: A Minor Pentatonic (A-C-D-E-G)

Both scales use the same notes but emphasize different tonal centers.

G Major Pentatonic (G-A-B-D-E)

Relative Minor: E Minor Pentatonic (E-G-A-B-D)

4 Examples

The four easy examples below demonstrate what notes are highlighted when using the four pentatonic scales listed above over a static C major 7 chord.

When Playing : 

C major pentatonic and its relative minor over Cmaj7 you highlight the 1 2 (9) 3 5 6 (13).

G major pentatonic and its relative minor over Cmaj7 you highlight the 5 6 (13) 7 2 (9) 3.

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