The blues scale is used in all styles of music from time to time. We hear this scale from players like BB King, Eric Clapton and the many others.
This scale will give you another tool to use on your solo’s. A lot of blues or just a touch, it’s up to you.
Blues scales are just the pentatonic scales with an added note. However that one note changes the whole feeling of a song or lead.
Try this scale along with the pentatonic for more feeling.
The Major and Minor Blues
There are major and minor scales just like there major and minor pentatonic scales. Also the major and minor scale forms are the same.
In other words an A minor scale would be the same as a C major scale and vice versa.
Here are the two scales first the major then the minor.
Here is what they both sound like. They almost sound identical at first listen. Practice being able to tell them apart.
The major scale is built 1-2-3♭-3-5-6
The minor scale is built 1-3♭-4-5♭-5-7
Flash
QuikTime
Windows Media
The major and minor blues scales.
Major Blues
Major Blues Scale Patterns
The R stands for root of the scale.
To use the major blues in the same key as the minor you have to move it down 3 frets
The major blues should be used on the I chord
The diamonds are the Blue Notes. This is what’s different from the major pentatonic.
The major blue note is the flatted 3.
The 6th string is on your left the nut is on the top
Major Blues Scales
F♯ and G♭ are the same scale spelled different.
This is where I changed from flat to sharp keys.
Minor Blues
Minor Blues Patterns
The R means root of the scale.
To use the minor blues in the same key as the major you have to move it up 3 frets
The diamonds are the Blue Notes. This is what’s different from the major pentatonic.
The minor blue notes are the flatted 5 and 7.
The 6th string is on your left the nut is on the top
Minor Blues Scales
A Simple 12 Bar Blues in A
Pentatonic Scales
It’s a good idea to go through the Pentatonic course first unless you already know them good. That will make this blues course easier to understand. The scales are very similar.
Pentatonic Power (Opens New Window)
Blues Guitar Course
I have a course that I bought a little while ago to check out that really explains how to use the Blues scales.
It’s written by a guitar teacher/working musician Griff Hamlin out in the LA area of California. He’s got a couple U-Tube videos out there too.
It teaches you how to do bends the right way along with other techniques like hammer-ons and pull-offs and combining them.
The blues course shows you when to use the major blues or minor blues scale. This makes a big difference than just staying in the minor scale which many people do.
The first part gets you up to speed with written examples and fretboard diagrams of the first form of the Blues scale and then on to bends, pull-offs, hammer-ons and the combination of the last two together
After that you learn the other forms. There is plenty of sound and jam tracks to work with like a Crossroads jam track, good stuff.
Check it out for yourself.
Playing Through the Blues (Opens New Window)
Jam Tracks
After you get your chops down with Playing Through the Blues you need somebody to jam with right? You can get a copy of 50 Blues Jam tracks.
These tracks will get you ready for any blues playing situation or style whether it’s a shuffle or a smooth blues sound like Stormy Monday you will be ready.
The only thing better than jam tracks is jamming with a group because live is better but it’s hard to get other musicians to play so you can practice right?. The tracks help you work out those rough spots we all have before going live.
50 Blues Tracks (Opens New Window)