Scale
A Major Pentatonic Scale
Interactive keyboard
Highlighted notes form this scale.
Notes
A · B · C♯ · E · F♯
Root: A
Intervals
1 · 2 · 3 · 5 · 6
How it is built
This scale starts on A and applies the intervals 1, 2, 3, 5, 6. The result contains 5 distinct pitch classes per octave.
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Guide and musical context
About A Major Pentatonic Scale
A Major Pentatonic Scale uses the notes A, B, C♯, E, F♯. Its character is open, consonant and easy to phrase because strong semitone clashes are absent.
Character and sound
Open, consonant and easy to phrase because strong semitone clashes are absent.
Musical context and history
Pentatonic scales occur across many musical traditions. Major pentatonic can be understood as a five-note selection from the major scale and is extremely common in folk and popular music.
How and where it is used
Use it for melody and improvisation in country, pop, rock and traditional styles when a simple consonant vocabulary is useful.
In Theory view you can hear the pitch collection without depending on a specific fingering. Then switch to Piano, Guitar, Ukulele or Mandolin to see how the same notes are physically distributed on each instrument.
Harmonic and musical relationships
A practical way to understand this scale is to compare it with the major and minor scales starting on A. The altered notes are exactly what create its characteristic color.
The formula on this page is 1 · 2 · 3 · 5 · 6 and, from A, produces the notes A · B · C♯ · E · F♯.
Frequently asked questions
What notes are in the A Major Pentatonic Scale?
The notes are A, B, C♯, E, F♯.
What is its interval formula?
The formula is 1 · 2 · 3 · 5 · 6.
How does it sound and what is it used for?
Open, consonant and easy to phrase because strong semitone clashes are absent. Use it for melody and improvisation in country, pop, rock and traditional styles when a simple consonant vocabulary is useful.
Can I view it on a specific instrument?
Yes. Use the selector near the top to switch between Piano, Guitar, Ukulele and Mandolin without changing the musical combination you are studying.