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Glite Dictionary
pentatone

pentatone

9.6
Five notes that form a simple musical scale for making melodies in folk and Asian music
  • noun
  • /ˈpɛntəˌtoʊn/
  • Specialized
translation icon : pentatónica
  • The pentatone scale is often used in traditional music.

Examples

  • Some Asian music traditions make extensive use of the pentatone in their melodies.

  • Many folk songs around the world are based on the pentatone rather than the full diatonic scale.

  • Learning the pentatone helps beginning musicians to improvise simple yet effective tunes.

  • Many cultures incorporate the pentatone into their musical practices.

  • Learning the pentatone helps beginning musicians to improvise simple yet effective tunes.

  • Many folk songs around the world are based on the pentatone rather than the full diatonic scale.

  • Some Asian music traditions make extensive use of the pentatone in their melodies.

Synonyms

pentatonic scale
vspentatone
  • Specialized
1 7.0

A musical scale with five notes in each octave

has identical meaning but is an alternate term used in some sources

Surface Forms

pentatone singular
pentatones plural

Morphology

pentatone = tone (transparent) = penta + tone

The prefix 'penta-' clearly indicates five, and 'tone' refers to musical sound, making the meaning of a five-note scale clear.

Etymology

Pentatone comes from Greek parts penta- meaning 'five', as in pentagon, and tone meaning 'sound' or 'pitch', so a pentatone is simply a group of five notes, which is why many folk and Asian melodies use it.