The Minor Scale and the Minor Pentatonic
The natural minor scale has seven notes. The minor pentatonic keeps five of them and leaves out two. Same root, same feel, fewer notes. Here they are in A minor, side by side.
Riddim Up · Scales · Key of A minor
The two scales
A natural minor
A B C D E F G A 7 notes 1 · 2 · b3 · 4 · 5 · b6 · b7 · 8A minor pentatonic
A C D E G A 5 notes 1 · b3 · 4 · 5 · b7 · 8Alternative: C on fret 3
Same five notes, with C on the A string instead of the E string.Food for Thought
Lots of roots reggae is in minor keys, and the minor pentatonic is at the heart of many classic bass lines.