Major Pentatonic

Five notes, no semitones — the go-to major melodic scale

The major pentatonic is a five-note scale formed by adding the 2 and 6 to the major triad. Built from five steps along the circle of 5ths and free of dissonant semitone steps, it sounds good in a wide range of contexts. It is the innate scale — hummed naturally, independently across cultures.

It is a mode of the minor pentatonic (the same notes from a different root), and is contained by ionian, lydian, and mixolydian — the three major major modes, which therefore differ only in their 4th and 7th degrees.

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The instrumentTap a note to hear it.
C major pentatonic
CCD♭2DD suspendedE♭3EE blues minorFF♯5GG blues majorA♭6AA minor pentatonicB♭B
C0D2E4G7A9
Circle of fifthsInside, the twelve notes by semitone — the wheel every set on this site is drawn on. Outside, the same twelve by fifths. 5 fifths from C — C G D A E. From C, the major pentatonic: C D E G A.

On your instrument, in your key

OnguitarbassukulelemandolinpianoInCD♭DE♭EFF♯GA♭AB♭B

Related

ContainsMajor TriadContained byMajor Major ModesMajor ModesPentatonicsParallel toMinor PentatonicDerived fromCircle of FifthsReferenced byNestingMajor 2ndMajor 3rdMajor 6thIonian (Major)LydianMixolydian

Practiced in

Major Pentatonic AnchoredPentatonic AnchoredPentatonic Full RangeExplore PentatonicsMajor Pentatonic Melodies (Range Shifting)Major Pentatonic Melodies (Root Shuffling)Major Pentatonic Melodies (Untimed)Sing Major Pentatonic MelodiesSing Major Pentatonic Intervals (Untimed)