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Pentatonic and blues scales
Five tones that sound good almost everywhere. Meet the major and minor pentatonic and the blue note that gives birth to the blues.
Why five tones
The pentatonic scale has five tones instead of seven. By dropping two 'sensitive' tones that can sound tense, we get a scale that sounds good over almost any chord in the key. That is why the pentatonic is the favourite scale for soloing on guitar.
Major pentatonic
The major pentatonic takes degrees 1-2-3-5-6 from the major scale (dropping the 4th and 7th). In C major: C - D - E - G - A. It sounds bright, open and folky.
Minor pentatonic
The minor pentatonic takes degrees 1-♭3-4-5-♭7 from the natural minor scale. In A minor: A - C - D - E - G. This is the same set of tones as the C major pentatonic, just with a different home tone - exactly like relative major and minor.
Blues scale: add the blue note
If we add a single tone to the minor pentatonic - the flattened 5th (♭5), the 'blue note' - we get the blues scale. In A: A - C - D - E♭ - E - G. That sliding, 'dirty' tone gives blues and rock their characteristic cry.
Practical tip: learn one minor pentatonic shape on guitar and you can solo over hundreds of songs in that key. Move the same shape and you solo in another key.
The pentatonic is the bridge between theory and playing. That closes the intermediate tier - the advanced tier awaits with modes, inversions and advanced harmony.
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