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A '''pentatonic scale''' is a [[scale]] with 5 tones per [[equave]]. It is one of the most commonly used types of scale [[Approaches to Musical Tuning|in the world]].
A '''pentatonic scale''' is a [[scale]] with 5 tones per [[period]]. It is one of the most commonly used types of scale in the world.


Pentatonic [[MOS scale]]s may be found at: [[Pentatonic MOS]].
* The familiar major and minor pentatonic scales are modes of the [[2L 3s]] [[MOS]] scale.


Other pentatonic scales may be found at: [[:Category:5-tone scales]].
* Pentatonic MOS scales may be found at: [[Pentatonic MOS]].


Pentatonic scales may sometimes be used as chords rather than scales, in which case they are called [[pentad]]s.
* Other pentatonic scales may be found at: [[:Category:5-tone scales]].


“Equipentatonic” scales are scales with 5 roughly equally spaced tones per [[octave]]. They are usually not exactly equally spaced, but deviate from equal by small amounts, usually to improve the tuning of [[3/1]].
* [[Equipentatonic]] scales are scales with 5 ''roughly equally'' spaced tones per [[octave]], common in some musical traditions. The exactly equal form of the equipentatonic scale is [[5edo]].


Musical traditions that make use of equipentatonic scales include:
* 5 equal frequency divisions instead of pitch gives a pentatonic [[overtone scale]], the first mode of [[5afdo]].
* [[Aka]] music from Central Africa
* Indonesian [[gamelan]] music ([[slendro]] scales)
* Southern [[Ugandan]] music
** [[Baganda]] music
Note that just because a tradition has an equipentatonic scale doesn’t mean it uses it exclusively. Indonesian gamelan for example uses equipentatonic slendro scales, but also far-from-equal [[pelog]] scales too. Also, the term “scale” here is used loosely, because many, perhaps the majority, of musical traditions don’t use scales, but use something else like tetrachords, raag, etc. that scales can only loosely model.


An exactly equal equipentatonic scale is [[5edo]], which is popular with modern Western xenharmonic composers. [[Sevish]] recommends 5edo as a tuning for those newly exploring beyond [[12edo]].
Pentatonic scales may sometimes be used as chords rather than scales, in which case they are called [[pentad]]s.


== See also ==
== See also ==

Latest revision as of 20:15, 12 April 2025

A pentatonic scale is a scale with 5 tones per period. It is one of the most commonly used types of scale in the world.

  • The familiar major and minor pentatonic scales are modes of the 2L 3s MOS scale.
  • Equipentatonic scales are scales with 5 roughly equally spaced tones per octave, common in some musical traditions. The exactly equal form of the equipentatonic scale is 5edo.
  • 5 equal frequency divisions instead of pitch gives a pentatonic overtone scale, the first mode of 5afdo.

Pentatonic scales may sometimes be used as chords rather than scales, in which case they are called pentads.

See also

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