The blues scale is not only used for playing blues, rather you can find use for it in all kinds of music (from rock to jazz).
Having that out of the way, we have all heard the sound of the blues scale many times. Simply put, it sounds cool AND it's really easy to play and remember.
In this blog, we will take a look at it.
What Is The Blues Scale?
Though some may argue that a blues scale can consist of 6, 7, or even 9 notes, the most popular and universally accepted ones are 6-note scales based on the following:
If you try to connect some dots, you will also realise that both these scales are actually relative.
Blues Scale Based On The Minor Pentatonic Scale
The minor pentatonic scale is a 5-note scale derived from the natural minor scale by omitting the 2 and b6 scale degrees.
For context, an A minor scale is built using: A B C D E F G. So, to turn this into a minor pentatonic scale, we remove B & F, leaving us with: A C D E G.
Now, to turn this into a blues scale, we simply add a chromatic passing tone between the 4 & 5 (D & E respectively). So, we are now left with a 6 note scale: A C D D# E G.
In some cases, the b7 (G) is also followed by a natural 7th (G#) as a passing note only, leading to the root (A) again.
Blues Scale Based On The Major Pentatonic Scale
The major pentatonic scale is a 5-note scale, derived from the major scale by omitting the 4 and 7 scale degrees.
For context, a C major scale is built using: C D E F G A B. So, to turn this into a major pentatonic scale, we remove F & B, leaving us with: C D E G A.
Now, to turn this into a blues scale, we simply add a chromatic passing tone between the 2 & 3 (D & E respectively). So, we are now left with a 6 note scale: C D D# E G A.
In some cases, a b5 (Gb) is used to target the 5 (G), acting as a leading tone. Apart from this, blues players often add a b7 degree as well to spice up their phrases a bit more.
Theoretically speaking, that helps outline the dominant chords usually played in blues.
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