What is the Blues Scale & What is it used for?
The blues scale is a six-note progression that sounds right at home in blues, rock, and country music. This scale is essentially the pentatonic scale plus one chromatic note, often called the blue note. This extra step gives the blues scale that unmistakably bluesy sound.
Mastering the blues scale will give you the tools you need to improvise over a range of chord progressions, from a classic 12-bar blues to a driving rock and roll song. In addition to boosting your improvisational skills, practicing this scale will also help you train your ear so you can learn new bluesy licks to incorporate into your playing.
Just like pentatonic scales, the blues scale can be either major or minor. In this lesson, we’ll start by focusing on a basic Major and Minor Blues scale for both Piano and Guitar.
The blues scale is a six-note progression that sounds right at home in blues, rock, and country music. This scale is essentially the pentatonic scale plus one chromatic note, often called the blue note. This extra step gives the blues scale that unmistakably bluesy sound.
Mastering the blues scale will give you the tools you need to improvise over a range of chord progressions, from a classic 12-bar blues to a driving rock and roll song. In addition to boosting your improvisational skills, practicing this scale will also help you train your ear so you can learn new bluesy licks to incorporate into your playing.
Just like pentatonic scales, the blues scale can be either major or minor. In this lesson, we’ll start by focusing on a basic Major and Minor Blues scale for both Piano and Guitar.
Description of the Blues scale
The Blues scale consists of 6 different notes. It is based off a MAJOR or MINOR pentatonic scale, which is a 5-note scale. The Blues scale has the 5 notes of the major or minor pentatonic scale, plus one additional note.
The major pentatonic consists of the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 5th and 6th notes of a major scale. For instance, let’s take a look at the C major scale. The notes of the C major scale are C – D – E – F – G – A – B. The C major pentatonic would therefore be, the 1st note, C, the 2nd note, D, the third note, E, the 5th note, G, and the 6th note, A, or C – D – E – G – A.
The minor pentatonic uses the 1st, 3rd, 4th, 5th and 7th of the natural minor scale. For instance, let’s take a look at the C minor scale. The notes of the C minor scale are C – D – Eb – F – G – Ab – Bb. The C minor pentatonic would therefore be, the 1st note, C, the 3rd note, Eb, the fourth note, F, the 5th note, G, and the 7th note, Bb, or C – Eb - F – G – Bb.
The Blues scale consists of 6 different notes. It is based off a MAJOR or MINOR pentatonic scale, which is a 5-note scale. The Blues scale has the 5 notes of the major or minor pentatonic scale, plus one additional note.
The major pentatonic consists of the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 5th and 6th notes of a major scale. For instance, let’s take a look at the C major scale. The notes of the C major scale are C – D – E – F – G – A – B. The C major pentatonic would therefore be, the 1st note, C, the 2nd note, D, the third note, E, the 5th note, G, and the 6th note, A, or C – D – E – G – A.
The minor pentatonic uses the 1st, 3rd, 4th, 5th and 7th of the natural minor scale. For instance, let’s take a look at the C minor scale. The notes of the C minor scale are C – D – Eb – F – G – Ab – Bb. The C minor pentatonic would therefore be, the 1st note, C, the 3rd note, Eb, the fourth note, F, the 5th note, G, and the 7th note, Bb, or C – Eb - F – G – Bb.
For the MAJOR BLUES scale, the MINOR 3rd or, in the key of C, the Eb is added. This would make the notes C, D, Eb, E, G, A.
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For the MINOR BLUES scale, the DIMINSHED 5th or, in the key of C, the F#/Gb is added. This would make the notes C, Eb, F, F#/Gb, G, Bb.
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CHECK OUT THE VIDEO BELOW ON HOW THE BLUES SCALE IS WRITTEN AND PLAYED ON PIANO:
Blues scale on Guitar
In this lesson, we’ll start by focusing on one of the most common blues scales: the A minor blues scale. We’ll look at how to play this blues scale in four different positions. Then, you’ll learn three moveable minor blues scale shapes that will allow you to play the minor blues scale in any key you want. Finally, you’ll learn to play a 12-bar blues in A, and work on some blues scale exercises.
Notes in the A Minor Blues Scale
There are six notes in the A minor blues scale:
-- A
-- C
-- D
-- D#
-- E
-- G
The intervals that make up the minor blues scale are the same in any key. These intervals are: A whole step and a half step, a whole step, a half step, a half step, a whole step and a half step, and a whole step. The fourth note in the scale, in this example D#, is the blue note. The half steps that take you from D to D# to E have that wonderful walking blues sound that really distinguishes this scale.
A Minor Blues Scale Positions
As with other scales, there are many positions on the neck of your guitar where you can play an A minor blues scale. For this lesson, we’ll look at four different positions. As you’re reading these guitar scale diagrams, remember the following rules. O stands for open string, and the numbers on the diagrams correspond to your fretting fingers in the following order:
1= Index finger
2= Middle finger
3= Ring finger
4= Pinkie
5th Position
To play the A minor blues scale in 5th position, use your index finger for notes on the 5th fret, your middle finger for the 6th, your ring finger for the 7th, and your pinkie for notes on the 8th fret. This scale starts on the 5th fret of the low E string. This version is also known as an E-shaped blues scale.
In this lesson, we’ll start by focusing on one of the most common blues scales: the A minor blues scale. We’ll look at how to play this blues scale in four different positions. Then, you’ll learn three moveable minor blues scale shapes that will allow you to play the minor blues scale in any key you want. Finally, you’ll learn to play a 12-bar blues in A, and work on some blues scale exercises.
Notes in the A Minor Blues Scale
There are six notes in the A minor blues scale:
-- A
-- C
-- D
-- D#
-- E
-- G
The intervals that make up the minor blues scale are the same in any key. These intervals are: A whole step and a half step, a whole step, a half step, a half step, a whole step and a half step, and a whole step. The fourth note in the scale, in this example D#, is the blue note. The half steps that take you from D to D# to E have that wonderful walking blues sound that really distinguishes this scale.
A Minor Blues Scale Positions
As with other scales, there are many positions on the neck of your guitar where you can play an A minor blues scale. For this lesson, we’ll look at four different positions. As you’re reading these guitar scale diagrams, remember the following rules. O stands for open string, and the numbers on the diagrams correspond to your fretting fingers in the following order:
1= Index finger
2= Middle finger
3= Ring finger
4= Pinkie
5th Position
To play the A minor blues scale in 5th position, use your index finger for notes on the 5th fret, your middle finger for the 6th, your ring finger for the 7th, and your pinkie for notes on the 8th fret. This scale starts on the 5th fret of the low E string. This version is also known as an E-shaped blues scale.
Here is a TAB version of the scale for reference:
Check out the video instructional below to play the A Minor Blues scale on guitar:
PRACTICAL TASK:
TRY THE JAM TRACKS BELOW TO IMPROVISE AND SOLO OVER THE TOP OF 12 BAR BLUES. SEE IF YOU CAN PLAY ON YOUR INSTRUMENT, OR SING ALONG TO THESE TRACKS USING THE BLUES SCALE!
TRY THE JAM TRACKS BELOW TO IMPROVISE AND SOLO OVER THE TOP OF 12 BAR BLUES. SEE IF YOU CAN PLAY ON YOUR INSTRUMENT, OR SING ALONG TO THESE TRACKS USING THE BLUES SCALE!
C BLUES FOR PIANO
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A BLUES FOR GUITAR
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Let's see how well you understood the Blues Scales with the Final Quiz of this Unit!