Penta construction

This lesson will explain how to figure out how to construct the major and minor pentatonic scales. We will use the major and relative minor scales to construct each pentatonic scale. The illustration below shows the notes and fingering of the Am pentatonic scale we have been covering. The pentatonic scale only has 5 notes. You find these 5 notes in the major key. The major and minor pentatonic scales both have only 5 notes. Each major key has a minor and major pentatonic scale that are relative to each other. In this case, relative will mean to share the same notes. In the key of C major, we can construct the C major and Am pentatonic scales. 

Each of these scales will have the same notes. The C major pentatonic scale will have the following notes. C D E G and A. The Am pentatonic scale will have the following notes: A C D E and G. If we wrote a song in the key of C major, the C chord would be the tonic or home chord and we could use the C major pentatonic scale. If we wrote our song in the key of Am, Am would be the tonic or home chord and we would use the Am pentatonic scale. 

Most songs are either written in major or minor keys.

Look at the illustration below. Notice that we used the same fingering pattern for the Bm pentatonic scale below as we did with the Am pentatonic scale above. We moved all the notes up 1 whole step. 1 whole step on the guitar equals two frets. The Bm pentatonic scale has the same notes as the D major pentatonic scale. The notes in the key of D major are: D E F# G A B C# D. Notice that the B note is the sixth note in the key of D major. This means that the B is the relative or natural minor scale in the key of D major. Bm and D major share the same key signature and have the same notes.

So, Am and C major share the same notes and Bm and D major share the same notes. This works for all scales.

For example, by moving this fingering pattern to the 12th fret, we would have the Em pentatonic scale. G major and Em share the same notes and key signature.

To figure out the minor pentatonic scale you take the major scale. For example, the notes in the key of C major are: C D E F G A B. We then take the sixth note of that scale, the sixth note will be the relative or natural minor of that major key. So, in C major the sixth note is the A note. We then write out the notes starting from that note. A B C D E F G. We know that the pentatonic scale on has 5 notes so we must remove two of these notes. 

The Am pentatonic scale will use the 1st note (A) 3rd note (C) 4th note (D) 5th note (E) and 7th note (G). This will then give us the notes of the Am pentatonic scale. A C D E and G. We know that Am pentatonic and C major pentatonic share the same notes. Am pentatonic, A C D E and G. C major pentatonic, C D E G and A. 

So to figure out the major pentatonic scale we take the major scale. We will use the key of C major to figure out the C major pentatonic scale. C D E F G A and B. We would take the 1st C, 2nd D, 3rd E, 5th G and 6th A. This would give us the notes of C major pentatonic, C D E G and A. 

This works the same for all keys. One more example in the key of G major. The notes in the key of G major are: G A B C D E and F#. To construct the G major pentatonic scale we would use the 1st G, 2nd A, 3rd B, 5th D and 6th E. G A B D and E.

Em is the relative minor in the key of G major. They share the same notes and key signature. Take the notes in the key of G major, but start with the E note. E F# G A B C D. We would use the 1st, 3rd, 4th, 5th and 7th notes for the Em pentatonic scale. E G A B D. It's really all mathematical.

Good luck,