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Rock
,→Pentatonic Scales
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.
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.
A C D E G A C D E G A C
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.
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Note: there are more pentatonic scales than the two listed above. These are simply the most common for rock music.