Minor Pentatonic vs Major Pentatonic
The C minor pentatonic and the C major pentatonic share 2 notes — C, G. From there, the C minor pentatonic adds Eb, F, Bb, while the C major pentatonic adds D, E, A.
Piano, C3 to C5. Notes in this scale, low to high: C3 (root of C Minor Pentatonic and root of C Major Pentatonic), D3 (2), Eb3 (flat 3), E3 (3), F3 (4), G3 (5 of C Minor Pentatonic and 5 of C Major Pentatonic), A3 (6), Bb3 (flat 7), C4 (root of C Minor Pentatonic and root of C Major Pentatonic), D4 (2), Eb4 (flat 3), E4 (3), F4 (4), G4 (5 of C Minor Pentatonic and 5 of C Major Pentatonic), A4 (6), Bb4 (flat 7), C5 (root of C Minor Pentatonic and root of C Major Pentatonic).
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 |
| Major Pentatonic | R · 2 · 3 · 5 · 6 |
Notes in common
| Note | In Minor Pentatonic | In Major Pentatonic |
|---|---|---|
| C | R | R |
| G | 5 | 5 |
Notes that differ
- Only in the minor pentatonic: Eb (b3), F (4), Bb (b7)
- Only in the major pentatonic: D (2), E (3), A (6)