Presentation by Alan J Currie on the pentatonic scale suitable for key stage 2

1. Exploring Pentatonic Scales All Music © Alan J Currie

2. We are going to explore pentatonic music. “Penta” means five, as in pentagon. Pentatonic music is made up of five different notes.

3. Here is a pentatonic scale. It can begin on any note. Here we have F sharp (#), so the scale is called F# major pentatonic. Listen Again

4. These five note scales are the basis of many forms of music. They use the 1 st , 2 nd , 3 rd , 5 th and 6 th notes of the scale, for example: Listen Again

5. We are going to learn three simple pentatonic scales, these are C,F and G. C major pentatonic = C, D, E, G, A. Listen Again

6. F major pentatonic = F, G, A, C, D. Listen Again

7. G major pentatonic = G, A, B, D, E. Listen Again

8. Time to get composing. Use the C major pentatonic scale. Don’t be afraid to experiment and experiment with short melodies. Listen carefully to what you create. Record your music!