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Rock
,→Pentatonic Scales
== Pentatonic Scales ==
Rock often uses a major or minor ''Pentatonic'' or 5-note scale, which is a variation of the classical 7-note major or minor scale. This is used for melodic reasons, not harmonic. Rock music tends to use traditional diatonic harmony for the major or minor scale, including chords that contain notes not found in the penetatonic variation.
The major pentatonic scale simply drops the 4th and 7th from the major scale. The C Major Pentatonic Scale is thus, C - D - E - G - A - C. This drops all half-steps from the scale, including the leading tone.
e--------------------------------8--10--
b--------------------------8--10--------
g--------------------7--9---------------
d--------------7--10--------------------
a--------7--10--------------------------
e--8--10--------------------------------
C D E G A C D E G A C D
The minor pentatonic scale drops the 2nd and 6th from the minor scale. The A Minor Pentatonic Scale is thus, A - C - D - E - G - A. Again, this drops all half-steps from the scale.
e--------------------------------5--8--
b--------------------------5--8--------
g--------------------5--7--------------
d--------------5--7--------------------
a--------5--7--------------------------
e--5--8--------------------------------
A C D E G A C D E G A C
Notice, like the C Major and A Minor, C Major Pentatonic and A Minor Pentatonic consist of the same notes - they are relatives.
These pentatonic scales avoid the tension associated with the leading tone as well as the other half-step normally found in the major/minor scales; yet they clearly have their own tonality which emphasizes the tonic note. The decreased tension follows the general theme in rock which is to avoid strong cadences or resolutions in favor of keeping a musical flow.
Note: there are more pentatonic scales than the two listed above. These are simply the most common for rock music.
== Song Structure ==