Scales › Egyptian pentatonic (suspended)

Egyptian pentatonic (suspended) scale

suspended pentatonic, no third

What color?

Mode 2 of the major pentatonic (R 9 11 5 b7), with no third: a suspended, open sound, neither major nor minor. Ideal for floating over a sus chord or an ambiguous vamp.

Origin & history

A "suspended" pentatonic (1 2 4 5 ♭7), a rotation of the major pentatonic without a third, hence its floating character. It is found in many folk musics.

Which chords to play it on?

Outside the functional consensus: this is an exploration color. Lay it over a vamp or a held chord to tint your improvisation with an unexpected flavor, rather than inside a cadence.

Try it in a real chart

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