Pentatonic modal usage (1)

When the word “pentatonic” is used it usually brings to mind rock or blues. The pentatonic scale has a lot of usage in the jazz idiom. Many people use the minor pentatonic scale not realizing that there is a major pentatonic scale that has multiple uses for soloing over different chords.

Let’s start from the beginning.

Where does the pentatonic scale come from? We’ll start with the C major scale for illustrative purposes keeping in mind that these examples should be transposed to all 12 keys.

Note: When you see the number of a scale degree by itself, it is understood that it is a major scale degree. In the case of minor scale degrees, I will place a small “m” before the number OR a “b” (flat, ex: b3 means minor 3rd) but that does not mean that the note is necessarily flat, it means it is lowered a half step. If the “b” (flat) is after the note, then the note is flat.

Example: In the following major scale the 3 is major so it is written just as a 3, the same with the 7^th degree. However in the minor scale that is below, the 3^rd scale degree is a minor 3^rd so I’ll indicate it as m3 (or b3) and the 7^th also as m7 (or b7). Perfect intervals will also be indicated as just the number)

A menudo la gente piensa en rock o blues al escuchar la palabra “pentatónica”. La escala pentatónica tiene muchos usos en el mundo del jazz. Muchas veces la 1ª escala pentatónica que se aprende es una menor, pero, lo que la gente no sabe es que esa misma escala es una escala pentatónica mayor con multiples usos para improvisar sobre diferentes acordes.

¿De donde procede la escala pentatónica? Empezaremos con la escala de Do mayor y la usaremos como ejemplo.

Nota: Cuando ves el número del grado de una escala por si solo, ese grado siempre se entenderá que es mayor. Por ejemplo: los grados que forman el acorde de Do mayor son 1, 3, 5,. El 3 es mayor (Recuerda que 1, 4, 5 y 8 con grados o intervalos justos y no mayores ni menores). Para indicar un grado menor pondré una “m” o “b” (bemol) delante del grado, esto significa que el grado es menor.

Any major scale has 7 notes. Pentatonics have 5 notes so we have two too many. Here’s the rule: Remove the 4^th and 7^th degrees from any major scale and the result is a major pentatonic scale.

Las escalas mayores tienen 7 notas, por lo tanto para construir una pentatónica nos sobran dos. La regla nos dice que para crear una escala pentatónica mayor hemos de quitar de la escala mayor el intervalo del tritono que es la 4ª aumentada. El 4º grado y el 7º grado. En este caso Fa y Si.

The 4^th and 7^th degrees form the tritone that is found in a major scale. A mathematical formula for this major pentatonic is: 1 2 3 5 6.

Nos quedamos con Do pentatónica mayor. Su fórmula matemática es 1, 2, 3, 5, 6. Esta es la fórmula para cualquier escala pentatónica mayor.