Major Pentatonics
The Major Pentatonic Scale is a scale which retains a Major sound but only uses 5 notes.
The black keys on a keyboard represent a Pentatonic Scale.
The Major Pentatonic formed by the black keys starts on F# and follows the pattern F#, G#, A#, C# and D#. This gives us the Interval pattern: Root, Maj 2nd, Maj 3rd, Per 5th and Maj 6th.
C Major Pentatonic
C Major is made up from: C, D, E, F, G, A and B. We give each note's position in the scale a name, this is called a 'Degree', in the case of the Ionian Mode, the C is I, D is II, and so on C(I), D(II), E(III), F(IV), G(V), A(VI), B(VII). We can use these Degrees to calculate other scales.
We construct all Major Pentatonic by using the I, II, III, V and VI Degrees of the Major Scale giving us: C(I), D(II), E(III), G(V), A(VI).
C Major Pentatonic: C, D, E, G, A (Root, Maj 2nd, Maj 3rd, Per 5th, Maj 6th)
Other Major Pentatonics
Here's a table of all the other Major Pentatonics in each key...
| KEY / INTERVAL | Root | Maj 2 | Maj 3 | Per 5 | Maj 6 |
| C# | C# | D# | E# | G# | A# |
| F# | F# | G# | A# | C# | D# |
| B | B | C# | D# | F# | G# |
| E | E | F# | G# | B | C# |
| A | A | B | C# | E | F# |
| D | D | E | F# | A | B |
| G | G | A | B | D | E |
| C | C | D | E | G | A |
| F | F | G | A | C | D |
| Bb | Bb | C | D | F | G |
| Eb | Eb | F | G | Bb | C |
| Ab | Ab | Bb | C | Eb | F |
| Db | Db | Eb | F | Ab | Bb |
| Gb | Gb | Ab | Bb | Db | Eb |
| Cb | Cb | Db | Eb | Gb | Ab |
3 Pentatonic Scales per Key!
You might notice that the C Major Pentatonic, F Major Pentatonic and G Major Pentatonic all contain no sharps or flats. What this means is that they will all fit into the key of C. Giving you three options to choose from. I suggest experimenting by playing each one over a C Major chord progression (e.g. C, G, F, G) to hear how they sound.