A major pentatonic
5-note major pentatonic scale on A — A, B, C♯, E, F♯.
Press to hear the scale played ascending.
The five-note major scale — the fourth and seventh removed, so nothing clashes. The open, singable sound behind countless folk melodies.
The notes
Each degree links to its pitch page. Note names use sharp spelling throughout — every accidental is written as a sharp (C♯, not D♭), the same convention as the note pages.
Degrees & steps
| Degree | Note | Semitones from root | Step to next |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | A | 0 | whole |
| 2 | B | 2 | whole |
| 3 | C♯ | 4 | 3 semitones |
| 5 | E | 7 | whole |
| 6 | F♯ | 9 | 3 semitones |
The step formula is 2–2–3–2–3 semitones — 5 steps that sum to a full octave (12 semitones) and return to A.