Help: Pentatonic Tunes

Subject: RE: Help: Pentatonic Tunes
From: Snuffy
Date: 13 Feb 02 - 08:11 AM

Bugle calls are pentatonic.

And 'Da-Doo-Ron-Ron' gets by with only 3 notes (G, A & B if you're in the key of G)

WassaiL! V

Subject: RE: Help: Pentatonic Tunes
From: Amy
Date: 13 Feb 02 - 08:09 AM

There are hundreds of folksongs that are pentatonic. A pentatonic scale having 5 notes can come in many varieties.... It can be based on do: do re mi so la It can have the same notes but be extended by having a "so or la" below do, or a high "do", an octave above. ie: Great Big House in New Orleans ie: (extended Do pentatonic) Cumberland Gap, Little Black Bull, The Devil's Questions...

Then you can also have pentatonic scales ending (and or starting on): re: (has the same do re mi so la but "re" is the tonic) ie. "Shady Grove" is "re pentatonic" (if it had a "fa or ti" it would be in the Dorian mode)

So pentatonic: same as above (with fa or ti it would become Mixolydian) ie. "The Darby Ram"

La pentatonic: same as above (with fa or ti it would become Minor) ie. The Bird's Courting Song (Leatherwinged Bat)

Pentatonic scales based on "fa and mi" are much more rare in American folk music.

I collect folksongs according to these particular scales and use them as the basis for teaching in my music classroom (using the Kodaly approach). There are many books that sort folksongs and give a quick reference for pentatonic songs. If you are interested in songs that can be used for children that are pentatonic, let me know, and I can direct you to some good books.

Subject: RE: Help: Pentatonic Tunes
From: wysiwyg
Date: 13 Feb 02 - 08:02 AM

A lot of Negro spirituals are pentatonic.

~S~

Subject: RE: Help: Pentatonic Tunes
From: Grab
Date: 13 Feb 02 - 07:46 AM

The main riff in "Boom Boom" by John Lee Hooker.

The "Layla" riff is almost pure pentatonic (IIRC there's one note that isn't).

Graham.

Subject: RE: Help: Pentatonic Tunes
From: GUEST,Pied piper
Date: 13 Feb 02 - 07:18 AM

Hi GUEST guest Lots of tunes for Highland pipes are pentatonic,in fact the scale of the pipes seens to be designed to play three different five note scales and the assosiated modes. If you enter "pipe tunes" in your search engine you should bump into plenty.

PS there is a good link to the hole topic of bagpipe modes but I don't know how to attach it, HELP PLEASE.

Subject: RE: Help: Pentatonic Tunes
From: Wilfried Schaum
Date: 13 Feb 02 - 03:43 AM

Auld Lang Syne

Wilfried

Subject: RE: Help: Pentatonic Tunes
From: Steve Parkes
Date: 13 Feb 02 - 03:34 AM

If you're old enough to remeber, "Champion The Wonder Horse" is pentatonic (the theme song, not the horse!), all except for one naughty note in the chorus.

Steve

Subject: RE: Help: Pentatonic Tunes
From: GUEST,Bardford
Date: 12 Feb 02 - 11:58 PM

Here's Jack Campin's site

Cheers, Bardford

Subject: RE: Help: Pentatonic Tunes
From: GUEST
Date: 12 Feb 02 - 11:56 PM

Jack Campin's website See Modes file for pentatonics.

Subject: RE: Help: Pentatonic Tunes
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 12 Feb 02 - 11:47 PM

You can start off with Swing Low, Sweet Chariot.

Subject: RE: Help: Pentatonic Tunes
From: Uncle Jaque
Date: 12 Feb 02 - 11:30 PM

Oh, that's right; a lot of traditional & ancient Celtic music is pentatonic, now that you mention it.

Could we have a link to that site you mention? it looks interesting indeed, and thanks for the lead!

Subject: RE: Help: Pentatonic Tunes
From: GUEST
Date: 12 Feb 02 - 11:22 PM

Several Scots ones in ABC notation on Jack Campin's website.

Subject: RE: Help: Pentatonic Tunes
From: Uncle Jaque
Date: 12 Feb 02 - 11:12 PM

I heard an interesting show on PBS once - i think it was "Schickelie's Mix", where he expounded on the subject of the pentatonic scale, and mentioned a few songs that were written for it. I can't remember now, but think that "Amazing Grace" was one of them, much to my surprise.

Perhaps you can go to the NPBN Website (National Public Broadcasting) and see if they have an archive site for Peter Schickelie (I'm not at all sure about the spelling). He's a really entertaining, as well as educational Musician.

Our Daughter has two Indian "Love-flutes", one of which we made and one she bought from a Maine Artisan, both of which are five-holers, and I assume pentatonic. She makes some lovely, haunting music on them, and can imitate many wild bird calls, including the loon, and incorporate them into her music. I'm not all that familiar with the scale, but would like to learn more about it and perhaps try composing in it.

Thanks for asking, and I'll be keeping track of this thread for a while in hopes of learning with you. We have quite a few very knowledgeable Musicians in here and I have little doubt but that we will soon be amply edified!

Subject: Pentatonic Tunes
From: GUEST,guest
Date: 12 Feb 02 - 10:51 PM

Can anyone help me with a list of tunes written in the Pentatonic scale? Well-known ones would be most helpful. Thanks in advance!