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 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

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 pentatonic scale and subtle, lilting phrasings of kunqu give way to a world of pitch and melody in which almost anything goes.

From New York Times • Jul. 12, 2016

They strike the floor with five separate tones: a miraculous, brief song in an ancient pentatonic scale.

From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver