About the Native American Scale#
Despite the name, this is a minor pentatonic scale built on D: five notes, D, F, G, A and C, with none of the semitone steps that make a full scale sound tense. That open, gap-toothed spacing is why it carries the calm, flute-like mood people associate with Native American melodies, and why almost anything you play on it sounds settled. It runs from low D up to a high C and back on the 6-hole ocarina, sitting nicely in the instrument’s range. Because nothing clashes, it is a forgiving place to work on tone and expression, adding trills or fading breath, rather than fighting to hit the right note.
Native American Scale Ocarina Tab#
| D | F | G | A | C | A | G | F | D |