Jazz Theory 11 PENTATONIC SCALES The Origin of Scales The Major Pentatonic Scale Its relation to the Circle of Fifths Pentatonic Scale Practice The Minor Pentatonic Scale The Blues Scale Blues Riffs Quiz and Quiz Answers Ear tests 19 & 20 and Answers Lesson Material - General files Jazz Theory lessons online

JT 11.1 - The Origin of Scales

In the early stage of the development of music scales were derived directly from melodies. This was achieved by

1. leaving out repeated notes, and
2. placing the remaining ones in step wise order.

JT 11.2 - The Major Pentatonic Scale

The major pentatonic scale is the oldest recorded and most enduring scale in the world.

The major pentatonic scale is, as the name indicates, a five tone scale.

It consists of the notes 1, 2, 3, 5 and 6 of the major scale (in any key).

In the key of C :

Audio 1

This scale is without a doubt the Olympic Champion of all scales.

JT 11.3 - Its Relationship with the Circle of Fifths

Why has the major pentatonic scale always been so enduring and popular ?

The answer can be found on the Circle of Fifths.

Tick off each note of the C major pentatonic scale on the Circle of Fifths.

What do you see ?

The five notes are not scattered around the Circle (as one on the basis of statistical probability would expect). They are instead bunched together, forming a solid segment on the Circle of Fifths.

In other words, the notes of the major pentatonic scale are acoustically closely related. They form an uninterrupted string of Overtone No.3 (Dominant) to Fundamental (Tonic) relationships.

The major pentatonic scale relates therefore right back to the acoustics of a single tone. It reflects nature itself and nature is always fresh, never boring. Other scales have come and gone, but the major pentatonic scale will always be with us.

The scale-tones of the major pentatonic scale form a succession of whole tone (major 2nd) and minor 3rd intervals.
The scale therefore sounds partly like a scale, partly like a broken chord. (There are no semitones in this scale.)

Audio 1

This makes it a great scale for improvisation. Even when playing straight up or down the scale it sounds already like a melody.

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JT 11.4 - Pentatonic Scale Practice

Practise the major pentatonic scale in all 12 keys. Practise each scale over a 2-octave range.
Good keyboard fingering for right and left hand in all keys are in the Scales Book. (It also includes advice for a good play technique for this scale.)

When you are comfortable playing the scales straight up and down, practice each scale also in patterns. Here are three patterns for the C major pentatonic scale for example :

Audio 2

Play each of these three patterns also over a 2-octave range, both going up, then down.

These patterns are most useful. They greatly increase your technical facility and knowledge of each scale. Once you have mastered these, try to incorporate them in your improvisation.

JT 11.5 - The Minor Pentatonic scale

The minor pentatonic scale is a mode of the major pentatonic scale.

This means that it uses the same note as the major pentatonic scale, but the tonic note for the scale is different. This creates a distinctly different sound for the new scale.

Starting the C major pentatonic scale on the 6th note of the scale produces the A minor pentatonic scale.

Audio 3

The C major pentatonic and A minor pentatonic are so called related scales.The C scale sounds major, whereas the A scale has a distinctly minor sound.

Related scales have their tonic notes 3 semitones (a m3) apart.
Therefore the C minor pentatonic is derived from its related Eb major pentatonic scale.

You can use the minor pentatonic scale for improvisation over the blues.
Use only the one minor pentatonic scale for the entire blues progression.

• For the Blues in C - use the C minor pentatonic scale.
• For the Blues in F - use the F minor pentatonic scale,
  and so on.

JT 11.6 - The Blues Scale

We dealt with the Blues scale earlier (in Lesson 7), but We can now look at this 6-note scale from a different perspective :

Audio 4

As above illustration clearly shows, the Blues scale is the minor pentatonic scale with one note added, the b5 (forming the tritone : C-Gb).

JT 11.7 - Blues Riffs

In Jazz terminology a riff is a short motif or phrase which is repeated several times. It can form the background to a melody or solo. This is very often the case in big bands where a whole section (the brass or the saxophones) play a background riff in harmony. In smaller groups a background riff can be invented on the spur of the moment, where one player initiates the idea and other players pick it up. A riff can also form the theme of a melody. This is especially popular with the 12 bar blues, where a 4 bar riff is played three times to form a complete Blues melody. The different chords that underlie the riff provide all of the variation.

Because the minor pentatonic and the blues scales are used over all the chords in the blues progression they are also ideal resources for blues melody riffs.

Here are three famous Blues riff examples.

Audio 5

JT 11.8 - Quiz

Hint : Remember (when doing Quiz B, C, D, E and G) that each of the 12 major pentatonic scales forms a continuous segment on the Circle of Fifths !

A.
Unscramble these major pentatonic scales :

1. A - C - F - D - G

2. G - Eb - C - Bb - F

3. Bb - Ab - C - F - Eb

4. C# - F# - E - B - G#

5. B - A - D - G - E

6. A - E - D - B - F#

2. Which major pentatonic scale can you construct from the five black notes on the keyboard ?

C.
What are the resources for each of these three blues riffs ?

2. Compose your own blues riffs for the Blues in the keys of F and G.
(Backing tracks are included in the Lesson Material.)

D.
How many major pentatonic scales contain the note 'C', and which ones are they ?

E.
Complete the following Major pentatonic scales by adding 1 more note. There are two solutions for each case.

1. A - B - D - E

2. Bb - C - Eb - F

3. Ab - Bb - Db - Eb

4. F# - G# - B - C#

5. C - D - F - G

G.
Mark the major pentatonic scale in all keys on the Keyboard Diagrams.
Use the semitone formula : - 2s - 2s - 3s - 2s - 3s -

H.
Write the major pentatonic scale in all keys on the Scale Letters Diagrams.
Use the scale-tone numbers : 1 - 2 - 3 - 5 - 6 - 1

I.
Mark the minor pentatonic scale in all keys on the Keyboard Diagrams.
Use the semitone formula : - 3s - 2s - 2s - 3s - 2s -

J.
Write the minor pentatonic scale in all keys on the Scale Letters Diagrams.
Use the scale-tone numbers : 1 - b3 - 4 - 5 - b7 - 1

JT 11.9 - Ear tests 19 & 20

The following ear tests are for the the 5-note and 6-note scales we have dealt with in this course.
They are the :

1. major pentatonic scale 2. minor pentatonic scale 3. blues scale 4. whole-tone scale

- t - t - ts - t - ts - - ts - t - t - ts - t - - ts - t - s - s - ts - t - - t - t - t - t - t - t -

(1 - 2 - 3 - 5 - 6 - 1) (1 - b3 - 4 - 5 - b7 - 1) (1 - b3 - 4 - b5 - 5 - b7 - 1) (1 - 2 - 3 - b5 - b6 - b7 - 1)

Single Items test
Each number plays one of the above C scales : 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |

Ear test 19 : Pentatonic scales only.

Each scale is played twice, the first time ascending only, the second time both ascending and descending.

JT 11.10 - Lesson Material