The Gift of the Pentatonic Scale

The essence of the pentatonic scale. Simple, yet beautiful. Photo taken at the Bronx Zoo.

This is Jesus Loves Me arranged with Clair de Lune by Claude Debussy. I played this during the world wide bug to hopefully bless others. A small example of the pentatonic scale.

Positive Pensées

 

Kathy King

The Gift of the Pentatonic Scale

 

"Each person in the world is different and has their own beautiful sound in the symphony of life."

Joseph Worthlin

 

The pentatonic scale. 

A Scale with 5 notes.

Not a lot to work with.

But oh, those little tones.

They were used to create beautiful masterpieces starting back in the late 19th century.

Debussy, Ravel and other great composers took those notes and made great showpieces that created beautiful musical motifs.

If a composer can take something very small and make something great.

Think of the possibilities within us that could potentially be something quite extraordinary.

Where is your pentatonic scale?

What would it be?

Could it be your wit? Your spirit? Your humility?

Take the best bits of you and make your pentatonic scale.

Weave those notes into a symphony that will tell a great tale.

Play the piece to others, encourage them to find their pentatonic melody.

Our world could be a beautiful consonance, sonata, and majestic reverie!

 

The pentatonic scale is exactly five notes. A normal scale has eight notes. Most musical canon has been written with the traditional eight-note scale, whether it be a major scale, a minor scale, a harmonic minor scale, etc. Scales are what eventually become music, which is composed and written into a song (which has words) or a piece (which has no words) of music. You would be really surprised at music professors, they make that distinction readily if you call a song a piece and vice versa. In the late 19th century, two composers named Claude Debussy and Maurice Ravel started to compose their music with the pentatonic scale. This was so different for European ears to hear! Most music was linear and straight-forward. The introduction of the pentatonic scale was, to some, a bit more chaotic. What both composers managed to do with those five little notes was nothing short of astonishing. During that particular time in history, the art was changing. Impressionism was taking hold. Most notably Claude Monet. He painted vibrant gardens with visible strokes. One of his most famous paintings was "Woman with a Parasol" This painting was not smooth; it was a little jagged, with vibrant colors dancing on the canvas. This is what Debussy and Ravel did with their music. They took those little notes and made them sound like a flowing stream, bells ringing in the distance, and even clouds passing through the sky. Claire de Lune, First Arabesque, and Jeux d’Eux All are well worth a listen to see the power of the pentatonic scale. Over time, these notes were used in jazz composition; it is called the blues scale. So you see, you can make a song or piece of worth with a small amount of notes. What is your pentatonic scale? Is it your kindness, humility, or smile? Your ability to find the good in every situation? Is it your empathy? Is it your strong will and willingness to not give up easily?  Find five things about yourself and compose your pentatonic symphony. I must admit, I struggle some days to find five good things but the exercise is well worth a try.  Then pass that idea on to others. Surely if this scale that at one time was "out of the norm" can stand the test of time and yield a crop of beautiful music. Our pentatonic scale can do much, much more. 

 

Source:charliepennel.com