5 MIN · UNDERSTAND & PLAY
Improvise with five notes
An idea to hear, see and put under your fingers.
Start with two notes
Over A minor, start with A and C. A short phrase and a pause are enough to make an idea. Breathing space and rhythm matter as much as notes.
Your turn
Play A–C, pause, then answer C–A.
Open up the palette
A minor pentatonic contains A–C–D–E–G. A, C and E also belong to the chord: useful resting points. The scale does not replace listening to the accompaniment.
Your turn
Open the improvisation workshop. Move from two to five notes and end a phrase on A.
Check your understanding
How many different notes are in a pentatonic scale?
See the explanation
Penta means five. Repeating a note an octave higher adds no new scale tone.
Turn words into sound.
Find this lesson in the workshops to hear examples, compare chords and answer the quiz.
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