The Music StemFree courses

Chords and Scales

Pentatonic and Blues

Major pentatonic

Formula
1 2 3 5 6
From C
C D E G A
Where it is used
A five-note scale found in many musical traditions.

Minor pentatonic

Formula
1 ♭3 4 5 ♭7
From C
C E♭ F G B♭
Where it is used
A common first scale for improvising.

Blues (minor blues)

Formula
1 ♭3 4 ♭5 5 ♭7
From C
C E♭ F G♭ G B♭
Where it is used
A six-note teaching model; real blues bends and shades pitches beyond any fixed scale.

Other chapters: Triads · Sixths and Added Notes · Seventh Chords · Extended and Altered Chords · Major and Minor Scales · The Modes · Symmetrical Scales · Jazz Scales · Color Scales

Chord symbols and voicings vary by style. No chord–scale pairing is right in every context.

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