pentatonic scale

American  

[pen-tuh-ton-ik, pen-] / ˈpɛn təˈtɒn ɪk, ˌpɛn- /

noun

Music.

1. a scale having five tones to an octave, as one having intervals that correspond to the five black keys of a piano octave.

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pentatonic scale British  

/ ˌpɛntəˈtɒnɪk /

noun

1. music any of several scales consisting of five notes, the most commonly encountered one being composed of the first, second, third, fifth, and sixth degrees of the major diatonic scale

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Etymology

Origin of pentatonic scale

First recorded in 1860–65; penta- + tonic

Example Sentences

"It reminds me a lot of music from South Asia, melded with the pentatonic scale which reminds me more of Arab music, along with the African percussion sounds that come through," said concert-goer Joseph Badawi-Crook.

From BBC • Dec. 27, 2025

Built on a pentatonic scale, “Summertime” gathers within its modest frame the sound world of black folk tradition.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 5, 2025

And he performed in the five-note pentatonic scale common to sub-Saharan Africa — a sound that distinguishes Sudanese music from the seven-note heptatonic scale more common to the Middle East and North Africa.

From Washington Post • Dec. 16, 2021

The first guitar my dad bought me was like a mini one for kids, and I learned to play the blues pentatonic scale.

From New York Times • Jul. 6, 2021

But this is not the only possible type of pentatonic scale.

From "Understanding Basic Music Theory" by Catherine Schmidt-Jones and Russel Jones