Minor Pentatonic vs Minor Blues
The C minor pentatonic and the C minor blues share 5 notes — C, Eb, F, G, Bb. From there, the C minor blues adds Gb.
Piano, C3 to C5. Notes in this scale, low to high: C3 (root of C Minor Pentatonic and root of C Minor Blues), Eb3 (flat 3 of C Minor Pentatonic and flat 3 of C Minor Blues), F3 (4 of C Minor Pentatonic and 4 of C Minor Blues), Gb3 (flat 5), G3 (5 of C Minor Pentatonic and 5 of C Minor Blues), Bb3 (flat 7 of C Minor Pentatonic and flat 7 of C Minor Blues), C4 (root of C Minor Pentatonic and root of C Minor Blues), Eb4 (flat 3 of C Minor Pentatonic and flat 3 of C Minor Blues), F4 (4 of C Minor Pentatonic and 4 of C Minor Blues), Gb4 (flat 5), G4 (5 of C Minor Pentatonic and 5 of C Minor Blues), Bb4 (flat 7 of C Minor Pentatonic and flat 7 of C Minor Blues), C5 (root of C Minor Pentatonic and root of C Minor Blues).
Both scales above are drawn on one piano keyboard in the key of C. Notes belonging to both are drawn as a split two-color dot, so the notes they share and the notes unique to each are visible in one picture.
How the formulas differ
Scale degrees are the key-independent way to compare two scales — these stay the same in every key, and they are what actually distinguishes one scale from another.
| Scale | Degrees |
|---|---|
| Minor Pentatonic | R · b3 · 4 · 5 · b7 |
| Minor Blues | R · b3 · 4 · b5 · 5 · b7 |
Notes in common
| Note | In Minor Pentatonic | In Minor Blues |
|---|---|---|
| C | R | R |
| Eb | b3 | b3 |
| F | 4 | 4 |
| G | 5 | 5 |
| Bb | b7 | b7 |
Notes that differ
- Only in the minor blues: Gb (b5)