Mon Prof Augmenté
The Piano’s Hidden Five-Note Scale
Age 12 · Music
A pentatonic scale has five notes in each octave, and a major scale has seven. On a piano, the five black keys in each octave play a pentatonic scale on their own, and the white keys from C to C play a major scale.
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In the picture
- Two black keys together: the first two notes of the five-note pattern
- Three black keys together: the last three notes, which complete the pentatonic scale
- A white key: playing the white keys from C up to the next C gives the seven-note C major scale
Examples
- Playing only the black keys gives a tune that sounds right whatever order you choose, which is why many beginners improvise on them first
- Many folk songs and the opening of “Amazing Grace” use only the five notes of a pentatonic scale
Key takeaways
- Pentatonic means five notes per octave; a major scale has seven
- The five black keys of a piano octave form a pentatonic scale
Quiz: The Piano’s Hidden Five-Note Scale (Age 12)
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How many notes in each octave does a pentatonic scale have?
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Which keys in one piano octave play a pentatonic scale on their own?
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What do you get if you play the white keys from C up to the next C?
The answers, each with its explanation, are in the app. This lesson has left the free week, so its quiz is part of the subscription.
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