The Blues Scale(s) and “Blue Notes” Explained
What Is The Blues Scale?
Some argue that there are actually two blues scales:
- The Major Blues Scale (degrees 1, 2, b3(#9), 3, 5, 6), which is based on the major pentatonic scale (1, 2, 3, 5, 6) with an added blue note (b3=#9)
- The Minor Blues Scale ((degrees 1, b3(#9), 3, 4, b5(#11), 5, b7) based on the minor pentatonic scale (1, b3, 4, 5, b7) with added blue note (b5=#11)
The names suggest that one can only be used for major keys and the other for minor keys. In practice however, the “minor” blues scale is commonly used for minor and major blues. In fact, it sounds particularly bluesy when played in a major blues.
The major blues scale isn't really "blue" at all. To me, it's simply the major pentatonic scale with a chromatic passing tone between the second and third degrees. While it can be used over major seventh chords, those chords don't typically convey a bluesy sound.
On the other hand, the minor blues scale may not complement major seventh chords very well, but in the world of blues, almost anything goes!
Most important Scales used for blues improvisation
When listening to talented jazz musicians playing the blues, you'll notice that they utilize a variety of scales. Below is a table highlighting the most common scales used in blues music. I've organized it with different colors to illustrate how the major and minor pentatonic scales relate to the major and minor blues scales.
The last system in the table above shows the notes from all the scales combined. It’s almost the chromatic scale, with the exception of #2, #5, and ∆7. It’s like, “Everything goes,” alright.
Conclusion
Jazz musicians and more contemporary blues musicians do not stick to one scale. There are so many possibilities. What gives music a bluesy feeling has as much to do with how we phrase, the rhythm, dynamics, articulations, and embellishments as it does with blue notes.
From a pianistic point of few
On a guitar or a horn, the player can bend notes like a singer, which is perceived as bluesy when doing it right. Playing in between two pitches is kind of what makes it sound bluesy.
On the keyboard, we have to find ways to give the illusion of bending notes. We do this by employing grace notes, trills, banging out seconds, and all this good stuff. Ultimately, it comes down to Blues Licks. Albert Amons, Dr. John, Oscar Peterson, and all these other great pianists who played the blues so effectively on the piano have all been using blues licks very effectively to that end.
What is the Blues Scale?
There are those that argue that there are actually two blues scales:
- The Major Blues Scale (degrees 1, 2, b3(#9), 3, 5, 6), which is based on the major pentatonic scale (1, 2, 3, 5, 6) with an added blue note (b3=#9)
- The Minor Blues Scale ((degrees 1, b3(#9), 3, 4, b5(#11), 5, b7) based on the minor pentatonic scale (1, b3, 4, 5, b7) with added blue note (b5=#11)
The names suggest, that one is used for major keys and the other for minor keys. Well, not so fast. The “minor” blues scale is the most commonly used scale because it works for both tonalities, minor and major. In other words, it sounds great when played over a dominant seventh chord, as well as a minor seventh chord.
The major blues scale is not really so “blue”. To me it’s just the major pentatonic scale with a chromatic passing tone between degree 2 and 3. It can be used for major seventh chords, but major seventh chords by nature don’t sound like blues at all. After all, there is no happier sound than that of a major seventh chord. And HAPPY and BLUES just ain’t go together so well!
The minor blues scale may not sound so great with major seventh chords. But hey, everything goes when you are playing the blues!
Blues Scales Overview
When you hear great jazz players playing blues, they use all kinds of different scales. Below is a table with the most common scales for blues.
Notice that I used different colors to show how the major and minor pentatonic scales relate to the major and minor blues scales.
The last system in the table above shows the notes from all the scales combined. It’s almost the chromatic scale, with the exception of #2, #5, and ∆7. It’s like “everything goes”, alright.
Conclusion
Jazz musicians and more contemporary blues musicians do not just stick to one scale. There are so many possibilities. What gives music a bluesy feeling has as much to do with how we phrase, the rhythm, dynamics, articulations and embellishments, as it has to do with blue notes.
From a pianistic point of few
On a guitar or a horn the player can bend notes like a singer, which is perceived as bluesy when doing it with thirds and fifths. That’s really what the whole idea of playing the blues is focused around. Playing out-of-tune and in-between two pitches. On the keyboard we have to be magicians to give the illusion of bending notes. We do this by employing grace notes, trills, banging out seconds, and all this good stuff. But ultimately it comes down to Blues Licks for us more than for any other instrumentalists. Albert Amons, Dr. John, Oscar Peterson, and all these other great pianists that played the blues so effectively on the piano, have all been using blues licks to make us all blue. (When I listen to those gentleman, I actually get blue because it takes my breath away!).