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By Asaf Peres Updated OCT-12-2018  Pentatonic scales have been around for centuries and are the melodic foundation for many musical genres and cultures. From the perspective of Western tonal music, pentatonic scales are the result of removing tendency tones - the notes most prone to dissonant clashes - from major or minor scales. Removing scale degrees ^4 and ^7 from a major scale results in a Major Pentatonic scale.  click for full size Removing scale degrees ^2 and ^6 from a natural minor scale results in a Minor Pentatonic scale.  click for full size THE BENEFITS OF USING PENTATONIC SCALES Excluding the tendency tones allows the melody to act independently of the underlying chord progression, which has several benefits:
 click for full size SONGS THAT EXCLUSIVELY USE PENTATONIC SCALES Many hit songs exclusively use pentatonic scales for the lead vocal melody. Among them are: Ed Sheeran - "Shape of You" Camila Cabello - "Never Be the Same" Taylor Swift - "Delicate" The Chainsmokers ft. Halsey - "Closer" Bebe Rexha & Florida Georgia Line - "Meant to Be" And many more... CHORD PROGRESSIONS To clarify, when I mention songs that exclusively use the pentatonic scale, I am referring to the vocal melody. It would be very difficult to avoid ^4 and ^7 (or ^2 and ^6 in minor) when using diatonic triads as the underlying chords. I and vi would be the only viable options... However, when used as chord tones in diatonic triads, tendency tones become significantly more stable and impose much less tonal gravity than they do as featured melodic notes. But let me address specific chords. In the case of ii and IV (or iv and VI in minor), since the melody is always perceived as being 'on top', a concurrent sounding of ^4 and ^3 (or ^6 and ^5 in minor) would not yield a harsh sounding minor 2nd, but a perceived major 7th. In the context of modern pop, a major 7th is not dissonant in the classical sense, but sounds like a relatively stable tonal coloring of the chord. In the case of iii and V (or v and VII in minor), the presence of ^7 (or ^2) poses a bit more of a 'threat' for harsh clashes, but this is usually neutralized in one or more of the following ways:
CONCLUSION Pentatonic scales are extremely popular these days with pop songwriters because they allow for musical freedoms and interesting sonorities that would be difficult to achieve otherwise without venturing too far away from the pop sound. They also lend themselves well to the collaborative nature of pop songwriting and production, making it easier to combine ideas and elements coming from different creative minds. This does not mean that as a pop creator you should always stick to pentatonic scales - many hit pop songs use 'regular' major and minor scales, and some even use chromatic notes - but they can serve as an important tool in your creative arsenal. They certainly are for most hitmakers these days. Top40 Theory is a project aimed at providing advanced music theory knowledge and composition tools to pop songwriters and producers. Join the small but growing community of highly accomplished songwriters, producers, theorists, and composers at the Top40 Theory Facebook group. You can also follow Top40 Theory’s Twitter account and Facebook page, as well as join the mailing list via the form located in the sidebar, to receive updates about new posts and other pop music theory related musings. More Posts: Sonic Functions: The Producer's Alternative to Harmonic Functions in Modern Music Everything You Need to Know About the Postchorus About that Chorus in Bebe Rexha's "I'm a Mess" Camila Cabello, Charlie Puth, and the Vocal Range Wars A Sonic Twist in the Plot: The Bridge in Modern Pop 8 Pop Related Music Theory Resources You Should Subscribe ToTaylor Swift - "Delicate": Finding Out What Hooked Me The Postchorus-Bridge Switcheroo |
AuthorAsaf Peres is a music theory Ph.D. who researches and writes about pop music. Archives
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