■ The most common pentatonic scale, obtained by omitting the fourth and seventh notes of the diatonic scale.
□ The name ("four-seven-missing") is self-explanatory. This pentatonic scale is common to folk tunes of Japan and also Scotland and Ireland, explaining the popularity in Japan of many such imported songs, which have been set to completely new Japanese lyrics.
From a page discussing the popularity of "Auld Lang Syne" or 「蛍の光」
Page on keys and scales - This has examples in music notation, and some sound samples. This also mentions a 「二六抜き音階」 (last example on the page) - the obvious equivalent with the second and sixth omitted, said to be typical of Okinawa.
This entry was created by Brian Chandler.