Pentatonic / blues scales
Often associated with the blues, the pentatonic scale is in fact associated to some extent with most musical cultures. It's just the same as a major or minor scale but with some notes missing - so only five different notes per octave.
The differene between the pentatonic and the blues scale is that the blues scale has the addition of the b5 or blue note. This is shown in the diagrams as an open dot.
It is important to learn to play these scales with your little finger - not just your first three fingers. That way you'll see the overlap of the pentatonic and diatonic (all eight notes) more easily, and anyway your third finger is your weakest and least articulate finger (because it has fewer muscles and less brain attached to it).
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