pentatonic
Americanadjective
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“In Walked Bud” emerges from a series of ostinatos, with a nearly dreamy focus on its pentatonic core.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026
It was a nod to his musical heritage and the Ethiopian pentatonic scale that gives his sound its unique flavour when combined with other jazz traditions from around the world.
From BBC ● Dec. 27, 2025
Astronomers at the European Southern Observatory created what they call “music of the spheres” for the TOI 178 system by associating a sound on a pentatonic scale to each of the five planets.
From Salon ● Feb. 6, 2024
Asked several times about the similarities between the "Oh Why" and "Oh I" hooks, Sheeran repeatedly told the High Court in London: "They're both pentatonic scales and they both use vowels."
From Reuters ● Mar. 8, 2022
In a pentatonic scale, only five of the possible pitches within an octave are used.
From "Understanding Basic Music Theory" by Catherine Schmidt-Jones and Russel Jones
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