What type of scale consists of five notes including major and minor thirds?

The pentatonic scale is characterized by its five-note structure, which typically includes both major and minor thirds. This scale is widely used in various musical traditions around the world, as its notes create a concise and harmonious sound palette that avoids the dissonance found in more complex scales.

In a pentatonic scale, the arrangement of tones and semitones lends itself well to improvisation and melody creation, making it particularly effective in folk music, blues, and rock genres. Major pentatonic scales contain the first, second, third, fifth, and sixth degrees of the corresponding major scale, while minor pentatonic scales include the first, flat third, fourth, fifth, and flat seventh degrees of the relative major scale.

The other types of scales listed have different characteristics. The chromatic scale includes all twelve pitches within an octave, the whole tone scale consists of only whole steps, and the diatonic scale has seven notes, encompassing both whole steps and half steps. These differences clarify why the pentatonic scale is the correct answer, as it specifically meets the criteria outlined in the question.