Pentatonic Scale

[redforever]

Well, I listen to a lot of music, but this is something I never knew - most black gospel spiritual music is written in the pentatonic scale.

Anyhow, not mind boggling revelation but I enjoyed the music and the explanation.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DMF_24cQqT0

[Hack&Lube]

Pentatonic is one of the oldest scales in music that occurs randomly in many cultures and historical early instruments. Traditional Chinese music from 2000 years ago is pentatonic. You'll find tiny island cultures and mountain tribes who have never been exposed to the west and their music is pentatonic. The reason a lot of black gospel is pentatonic is because tribal African music was diatonic and pentatonic but very rhythm based and that carried over in slaves brought to America.

[Vulcan]

There's another side to the song "Amazing Grace". An American black family member told me it was popular to sing by whites at black lynchings. Whites seemed to find using the 'slave scale' with the white words 'that saved a wretch like me' appropriate while stringing up their " Strange Fruit".

[icarus]

Pentatonic scales are also used extensively in the guitar solos you hear in Rock 'n' Roll music everyday on the radio.

[4X4]

Originally Posted by fotze

I would put that clip up against An American Werewolf I London in the creepiness scale. To think there are actual people like that in the world make me think I am going to die young.

What started out strangely interesting, ended up strangely creepy when he started panting while humming Amazing Grace.