Blues Scale and Blue Note | Simplifying Theory http://www.simplifyingtheory.

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Learning the Blues scale Search

The blue note in blues scale

Blues scale is the pentatonic scale
(http://www.simplifyingtheory.com/pentatonic-scale/) with one more
note (added in the scale). This note is known as “Blue note” and it
is the flattened (http://www.simplifyingtheory.com/tone-semitone-
sharp-flat/) fifth in the case of the minor pentatonic, or the flattened
third in the case of the major pentatonic. See that the note that was
added is the same in both scales; it is just to memorize the Blues
minor scale and transmit this note to all the other Greek modes
(http://www.simplifyingtheory.com/modes-ionian-dorian-phrygian-
lydian-mixolydian-aeolian-locrian/) while doing the solo. Check
below the shape of A minor Blues scale (highlighting the Blue note
in red):

A minor blues scale

(http://www.simplifyingtheory.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08
/blues-scale.png)

Check now the C major Blues scale and notice as the added note is
the same (D#):

C major blues scale

Nice, but now some basic questions appear: Where did this scale

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Blues Scale and Blue Note | Simplifying Theory http://www.simplifyingtheory.com/blues-scale-blue-note/
come from? What is the use of it?

The Blues scale is one the first scales that students of improvisation
(http://www.simplifyingtheory.com/improvisation-in-music/) learn and
generally it ends as being the only scale that they use besides the
major and pentatonic scales.

It had its roots in Afro-American music with the slaves and became
being really used in Blues, receiving the name of “Blues scale”. The
term “Blue note” is generally translated into Portuguese as “out
note”, due to the fact of this note does not belong to natural scale
(http://www.simplifyingtheory.com/music-scales/).

How to use Blues scale?

The utilization of Blues scale is the same as pentatonic scale. We
can use it in any place that we would use the traditional pentatonic
scale, just taking care to the fact that the Blue note is a passing
note, in other words, it must appear just among other notes and not
as a resting note. This is not hard to understand, because the Blue
note is a dissonant note to the natural diatonic scale. We should not
“rest” in it because this would sound like untune.

Try to do the test. Listen to a song in C tonality

(http://www.simplifyingtheory.com/tonality-harmonic-fields/) and play
the D# note. It is strange, isn’t it? Now play the Blues scale in this
song. Did you see that this same D# when played with other notes
sounds really nice?!

The chromaticism (http://www.simplifyingtheory.com/chromatic-

scale/) of the blue note is one of the most pleasant among all, this is
why this is scale is really widespread. To know how to use it well
demands practice, but the progress is fast.

Some tips and examples to

practice the blues scale
Let’s give that push in your studies showing some riffs
(http://www.simplifyingtheory.com/riff/) with the Blues scale, whether
in the tonal context as in the Blues (http://www.simplifyingtheory.com
/blues-definition/) context. Train these riffs and also create your own
riffs. Soon, the Blues scale will be dominated by you.

It is worth to practice this scale, because the Blue note gives some
special “taste” to any song when well used! Just don’t be tied to this
scale as it was the only one in the world, because it is really

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Blues Scale and Blue Note | Simplifying Theory http://www.simplifyingtheory.com/blues-scale-blue-note/
common that musicians use it to exhaust their ideas and being tied
to nothing more than this. You have to understand that this scale
was and goes on being reproduced millions of times from musicians
all over the world, in other words, we will not differentiate yourself
playing the Blues scale. It is one of the most jaded artifices in music,
so don’t be surprised with the easy produced gratification.

Of course this does not mean that you should despise it, not at all.
You have to dominate it well, but keep studying other things later.
Follow your learning process here in the website and make your
mixtures of Blues scale with other scales and resources to create
your own “taste”.

Very well, below you have some examples/exercises from Guitar

Pro:

Blues scale in the tonal context: tonalbluescale.gpro

(https://onedrive.live.com/?cid=121AF71AE78F8C18&
id=121AF71AE78F8C18%21706)

Observation: The tonality of this solo is the minor (chords Am, F, C

and G).

Blues scale in Blues context: bluesscale ( in Blues).gpro

(https://onedrive.live.com/?cid=121AF71AE78F8C18&
id=121AF71AE78F8C18%21705)
Observation: This Blues is in G

Practice now your solos using the E Blues scale in this backing track
(download the file): Traditional E blues.gpro
(https://onedrive.live.com/?cid=121AF71AE78F8C18&
id=121AF71AE78F8C18%21709)

To finish, we will show the drawings of the Blues scale in the whole
guitar (http://www.simplifyingtheory.com/online-guitar-lessons/)
fretboard. The idea is the same as we mentioned before to the
pentatonic scale: to dominate the Blues scale in all the fretboard! As
you are supposed to be dominating the complete pentatonic scale,
this process will be really easy! So, have good studies!

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Blues Scale and Blue Note | Simplifying Theory http://www.simplifyingtheory.com/blues-scale-blue-note/

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