Preview: nothing is saved
Pentatonic in songs
One more look at what you missed.
Listen to “Mary Had a Little Lamb”, in C.
It uses only C, D, E and G. All four are in C major pentatonic.
No sound? Check your volume, and that your phone is not on silent.
Many folk, gospel and pop tunes stay inside these five notes.
With no half steps, they are easy to sing and hard to get wrong.
“Amazing Grace” starts like this, in C. Is it pentatonic?
“Auld Lang Syne” and “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot” are pentatonic too.
So are countless folk songs, from Scotland to China.
Hear the start of “Auld Lang Syne”, in C.
Listen for any F or B. There are none.
Which notes of C major never appear in that tune?
Not every tune is pentatonic.
“Joy to the World” walks down all seven notes of the major scale, half steps included.
Listen. Is “Joy to the World” pentatonic?
Pick out “Mary Had a Little Lamb” on the keys.
Mary: E, D, C, D, E, E, E. Then “Amazing Grace”: G, up to C, E, C, E, D, C, A, G.
You can hear the pentatonic in songs.
What you learned
- Many folk, gospel and pop tunes use only the five pentatonic notes.
- Mary Had a Little Lamb, Amazing Grace and Auld Lang Syne are three.
- A tune that uses all seven notes, like Joy to the World, is not.
Your streak: 0 days
Out of stars for this step.
Each try makes the next one easier.