Piano Scales: Minor Pentatonic Scale: Theory & Ear Training, All Keys

Lesson Goal: To quickly internalize the Minor Pentatonic Scale in all keys… by ear, intellect, eye, and muscle…

Table of Contents

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Prerequisites

Basic music reading skills… the LOVE of music… and the discipline to study and practice.

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Why Learn the Minor Pentatonic Scale?

Because the Minor Pentatonic Scale is used in a wide variety of music all around the world: classical, folk, pop, rock, bluegrass, country, and modal jazz.

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Minor Pentatonic Scale Theory

• Scale Structure (Scale Degrees): 1-b3-4-5-b7-1.
• Scale Structure (Solfege): Do-Me-Fa-So-Te-Do.

C Minor Pentatonic

As the name says, this special scale is a collection of five notes with a minor quality (and is yet another existence proof that scales are not made up of “half-steps” and “whole-steps”)…

Important Sidebar: Notice how the scale structure is such that the notes form two convenient “triangles”. Recognizing such patterns greatly simplifies the way you think about, read, hear, visualize, and play… not just for this scale but for many other musical patterns.

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C Minor Pentatonic Compared to the C Minor Blues Scale

Notice that the Minor Pentatonic Scale is just the Minor Blues Scale with the edgiest note #4/b5 (Fi/Se) missing…

Don’t try to “memorize” this fact, but do realize how much certain scale types have in common, how learning one kind of scale helps you to learn others, and how the addition or subtraction of even just one note can profoundly change the character of a scale.

Play and listen to the Minor Blues Scale…

Play and listen to the Minor Pentatonic…

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Solfege Ear Training

Reading, playing, and singing the Solfege Syllables out loud is an extremely effective way to tune up your ears and to internalize the unique sound-feeling of each note in the scale with respect to the key center Do. Make sure to do this slowly enough for the unique sound-feeling of each Solfege Syllable to make a meaningful impression on your mind’s ear.

C Minor Pentatonic: Linear, Ascending…

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C Minor Pentatonic: Linear, Descending…

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C Minor Pentatonic: Do-X-Do, Ascending…

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C Minor Pentatonic: Do-X-Do, Descending…

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Note: We could sing lots more musical patterns, but a more effective and efficient approach (80:20 Rule) is to get your ear training material directly from the music that YOU want to play!

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Theory & Ear Training, All Keys

Showing the notation, key signature, letter names, scale degrees, solfege syllables, and keyboard layouts in 12 keys… arranged chromatically ascending (C, C#, D, Eb, E, F, F#, G, Ab, A, Bb, B)…

C Minor

Say this aloud as you read and play: “The C Minor Pentatonic Scale is spelled C-Eb-F-G-Bb-C.”

Sidebar: The goal here is learn how to read and where they are on the keyboard. Don’t worry about fingerings right now. In fact, it’s perfectly fine and maybe even preferrable to play these with one finger for now so that you don’t instill poor technical habits.

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C Sharp Minor

Say this aloud as you read and play: “The C# Minor Pentatonic Scale is spelled C#-E-F#-G#-B-C#.”

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D Minor

Say this aloud as you read and play: “The D Minor Pentatonic Scale is spelled D-F-G-A-C-D.”

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E Flat Minor

Say this aloud as you read and play: “The Eb Minor Pentatonic Scale is spelled Eb-Gb-Ab-Bb-Db-Eb.”

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E Minor

Say this aloud as you read and play: “The E Minor Pentatonic Scale is E-G-A-B-D-E.”

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F Minor

Say this aloud as you read and play: “The F Minor Pentatonic Scale is spelled F-Ab-Bb-C-Eb-F.”

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F Sharp Minor

Say this aloud as you read and play: “The F# Minor Pentatonic Scale is spelled F#-A-B-C#-E-F#”

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G Minor

Say this aloud as you read and play: “The G Minor Pentatonic Scale is spelled G-Bb-C-D-F-G.”

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G Sharp Minor

Say this aloud as you read and play: “The Ab Minor Pentatonic Scale is spelled G#-B-C#-D#-F#-G#.”

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A Minor

Say this aloud as you read and play: “The A Minor Pentatonic Scale is spelled A-C-D-E-G-A.”

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B Flat Minor

Say this aloud as you read and play: “The Bb Minor Pentatonic Scale is spelled Bb-Db-Eb-F-Ab-Bb.”

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B Minor

Say this aloud as you read and play: “The B Minor Pentatonic Scale is spelled B-D-E-F#-A-B.”

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Buy Frank a cup of coffee (Donations Page) and he’d be happy to send you a high-res pdf of the scores and keyboard layouts.

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learn more… Scales