pentatonic scale

[ pen-tuh-ton-ik, pen- ]

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.

pentatonic scale

/ 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

Word History and Origins

Origin of pentatonic scale¹

First recorded in 1860–65; penta- + tonic

Example Sentences

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

Jordan taught his students “River Niger,” and regardless of level, beginner or advanced, each student had an important role — whether playing the pentatonic scale according to his conduction or taking solo or collective free improvisations.

From New York Times

The easiest way to experiment on the Orff instruments is to begin with the pentatonic scale, a scale with only five pitches.

From Literature

In a pentatonic scale, only five of the possible pitches within an octave are used.

From Literature

"They comprise, in substance, the use of the first four notes of the minor pentatonic scale combined with the use of octaves and harmonies in a vocal chant," he argued.

From BBC