A pentatonic scale contains five notes per octave. Major pentatonic uses degrees 1, 2, 3, 5, 6. Minor pentatonic uses 1, ♭3, 4, 5, ♭7.
| Scale | Steps around the octave |
|---|---|
| Major pentatonic | 2 · 2 · 3 · 2 · 3 |
| Minor pentatonic | 3 · 2 · 2 · 3 · 2 |
The Guitarbacus toggle reveals the parent major scale's pentatonic pattern, preserving the original sliding-pattern idea. C Ionian and A Aeolian share C, D, E, G, A: C major pentatonic and A minor pentatonic.
Other modes give those five notes different relationships to the root. If the chosen root is outside the pentatonic pattern, it appears as an orange outline, not an extra scale note.
Pick up your guitar
Load A minor pentatonic. Begin and end on A, and leave a little silence between phrases.