BazzLow
ENIT
Module 12 · Lesson 3

The blues scale

Add the "blue note" to the minor pentatonic and use it correctly.

Before this lesson: 12.2 The minor pentatonic scale

One extra note turns the minor pentatonic into the sound of the blues.

The blue note

The blues scale is the minor pentatonic plus the ♭5: 1 ♭3 4 ♭5 5 ♭7. A blues is A C D E♭ E G. The ♭5 is the blue note. Together with the ♭3 and the ♭7, these are the “blue notes” that give the blues its tension against major chords.

TonicThirdFifthSeventh2nd, 4th, 6th
Bass neck, frets 0–12A blues scale from the root at fret 5 on the E string: A C | D E♭ E on the A string (frets 5, 6, 7) | G A on the D string (frets 5, 7). The ♭5 is E♭ at fret 6.DAE3456781♭34♭55♭78
A blues scale from the root at fret 5 on the E string: A C | D E♭ E on the A string (frets 5, 6, 7) | G A on the D string (frets 5, 7). The ♭5 is E♭ at fret 6.
The blues scale in four keys.
KeyBlues scale
AA C D E♭ E G
EE G A B♭ B D
CC E♭ F G♭ G B♭
GG B♭ C D♭ D F

Using it correctly

The ♭5 is a passing note. It almost always moves by half step to the 4 or the 5, and it is rarely held. As a spelling convention, the extra note is often written as ♭5 going down (E♭ in A) and ♯4 going up (D♯ in A). Both are used.

Another scale is sometimes called the “major blues”: the major pentatonic plus ♭3, 1 2 ♭3 3 5 6, where the ♭3 slides into the 3. It is only mentioned here.

Try it

Play A blues scale slowly up and down. Then play only 4 – ♭5 – 5 (D, E♭, E) and back, and listen to the ♭5 lead into the 5.

New terms