The Blues Scale Formula - Theory & Diagrams | Pianote (2024)

FAQs

The Blues Scale Formula - Theory & Diagrams | Pianote? ›

The major blues scale

This means the new formula for the major blues scale will be 1 – 2 – b3 – 3 – 5 – 6. In the key of C, we spell this C – D – Eb – E – G – A. The blue note in this major scale is E flat. Try substituting the major blues scale for all the exercises you practiced above.

The term blues scale refers to several different scales with differing numbers of pitches and related characteristics. A blues scale is often formed by the addition of an out-of-key "blue note" to an existing scale, notably the flat fifth addition to the minor pentatonic scale.

What is a "blues scale"? A seven-note scale in which the third, fifth, and seventh pitches are sometimes flat, sometimes natural, and sometimes in between. A "chorus" is: a full statement of the tune around which the performers improvise.

The intervals that make up the minor blues scale are the same in any key. These intervals are: A whole step and a half step, a whole step, a half step, a half step, a whole step and a half step, and a whole step. The fourth note in the scale, in this example D#, is the blue note.

The notes of the A Major Blues scale are A B C C# E F#. It's key signature has 3 sharps.

There are two types of pentatonic scale; the major and the minor pentatonic scale. Both of these are important, and both are widely used in blues and rock guitar playing. This is especially true of the minor pentatonic scale, which has come to define the sound of blues and rock music.

The Blues scale fits well with all of these chords because it contains the defining root note and flat seventh note of each one of them. It also contains F♯, a tritone away from the key note of C. Tritones are very important intervals for adding tension to music.

The blues scale is made up of 6 notes: the root note, flat 3rd, 4th, flat 5th, 5th and flat 7th. To play a blues scale in any key, you just have to start on the root note of the key you're in and play those six notes in order. So, if you're in the key of C, you would start on C and play C-Eb-F-Gb-G-Bb.

What is the blues scale an example of? ›

So, the use of the blues scale is the same as the pentatonic scale. We can apply it anywhere we would apply the traditional pentatonic, just watching out for the fact that the blue note is a passing note, that is, it should appear only in the middle of other notes, and not as a resting note.

The blue notes are usually said to be the lowered third, lowered fifth, and lowered seventh scale degrees. The lowered fifth is also known as the raised fourth.

The blues scale is essentially a minor pentatonic scale with an added chromatic passing tone leading up to sol (^5) . Example 4. The C blues scale creates stylistic clashes with the I and V chords of C major. This blues scale is used in both major and minor blues tunes, despite the clashes with the underlying harmony.

With that in mind, the major pentatonic scale's formula is 1 – 2 – 3 – 5 – 6 notes of a given scale. These five notes can also be found among the seven notes that make up the E major scale, with A and D# being the other two.

The notes of the Bb Major Blues scale are Bb C Db D F G. It's key signature has 2 flats. Press play to listen to the scale.

The major scale follows the formula "whole, whole, half, whole, whole, whole, half" or WWHWWWH. Beginning on the note C and following this pattern gives us C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C. Notice that the words "whole" and "half" do not refer to any of the notes: they describe the distances between them.

The notes of the G Minor Blues scale are G Bb C Db D F. It's key signature has 2 flats. Press play to listen to the scale. Click the virtual piano or the notation to hear each note.