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Joshua's Planet

 

 

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Scales
The Blues Scale

 

There is not a "heavy metal" scale. Not a "country" scale. But there is a blues scale. And this blues scale is not just used in blues music. But it will definitely add a bluesy sound to what ever style you plug it into.

A blues scale is nothing more than a minor pentatonic scale with an added note. That added note is sometimes referred to as the "blue note". That particular note creates a certain amount of tension that is a common sound in the blues.

Below is a basic minor pentatonic scale form, and then that same form with the addition of the "blue note".....appropriately colored...blue.

Basic minor pentatonic

Basic blues

= Numbers show the suggested fingering
= Scale root
= Added blue note

The blues scale only consists of 6 different note names. But when playing a blues scale on the electric bass you are going to play more than just 6 notes. You are going to play all of the possible places for those 6 notes within one position.

A C blues scale consists of the notes C E F G G and B . Below are the names of all of the note in a basic C blues scale form.

|--E -|-----|--F--|-G --| -1st string
|--B -|-----|--C--|-----|
|--F--|-G --|--G--|-----|
|--C--|-----|-----|-E --| -4th string
   |
  8th fret

So you see that there are only 6 different note names. Once you reach the 6th note, you will start back with the C note again.

|--2--|-----|--3--|--4--| -1st string
|--6--|-----|--1--|-----|
|--3--|--4--|--5--|-----|
|--1--|-----|-----|--2--| -4th string
   |
  8th fret

So keep in mind as you play the other blues scale forms found in this lesson, they will not neatly start and end on the root of the scale. They are just forms that cover all of the note possibilities in an entire position.

 

Scales
The Blues Scale

 

The blues scale formula

A scale formula shows how the notes relate to a major scale with the same root. The major scale is the constant to which you compare all other scales. The formula for a major scale is just 1 2 3 4 5 6 7. There are only 7 different notes in a major scale. The numbers in a scale formula are sometimes referred to as the scale functions. That just means that each note in a scale has a certain sound or role in relationship to the root of the scale. So a D note functions as the 2 in a C major scale.

C D E F G A B C - C major scale
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1 - scale functions

Therefore if any note in a particular scale is different than the major scale with the same root, you will show how it is altered by a (sharp) or a (flat) symbol.

So the scale formula for a blues scale is 1 3 4 5 5 7. In a C blues scale there is an E , and in a C major scale there is an E. So you call the E a 3 since is is a half step lower than the 3rd note in a C major scale.

C E F G G B C - C blues scale
1 3 4 5 5 7 1 - scale functions

Here is the scale formula applied to the basic blues scale form. Understanding the function of each note helps you to train your ear to know what a particular note will sound like, before you play it.

|- 3--|-----|--4--|- 5--| -1st string
|- 7--|-----|--1--|-----|
|--4--|- 5--|--5--|-----|
|--1--|-----|-----|- 3--| -4th string
   |
  8th fret

 

 

Scales
The Blues Scale

 

5 positions of an A blues scale

You should think of these as 5 pieces of a puzzle. The notes to the right in one form, will be the same as the notes to the left in the next highest form. You can see this in the 2 forms listed below.

Here you can see the 2 forms from above combined together.

Here are the 5 positions of an A blues scale. The basic form that you have already learned is the 2nd one listed here. Each scale form is listed in 2 different ways. To the left you will see the how the scale formula is applied to the scale form, and to the right you will see a suggested fingering. The names that I have given for each of these scales are note universal. They only reflect the order that I am introducing them in this lesson.

These forms should be transposed to other keys as well as A. In order to do this, you will need to know where the roots are in each scale form. You will also need to study the relationship of the adjacent scale forms. See how they fit together.

Blues scale form 1

Scale functions

|--1--|-----|-----|- 3--|-----|
|--5--|-----|-----|- 7--|-----|
|-----|- 3--|-----|--4--|- 5--|
|-----|- 7--|-----|--1--|-----|
         |
        3rd fret

Suggested fingering

|--1--|-----|-----|--4--|-----|
|--1--|-----|-----|--4--|-----|
|-----|--1--|-----|--3--|--4--|
|-----|--1--|-----|--3--|-----|
         |
        3rd fret

Blues scale form 2

Scale functions

|- 3--|-----|--4--|- 5--|
|- 7--|-----|--1--|-----|
|--4--|- 5--|--5--|-----|
|--1--|-----|-----|- 3--|
   |
  5th fret

Suggested fingering

|--1--|-----|--3--|--4--|
|--1--|-----|--3--|-----|
|--1--|--2--|--3--|-----|
|--1--|-----|-----|--4--|
   |
  5th fret

Blues scale form 3

Scale functions

|--4--|- 5--|--5--|-----|-----|
|--1--|-----|-----|- 3--|-----|
|--5--|-----|-----|- 7--|-----|
|-----|- 3--|-----|--4--|- 5--|
         |
        8th fret

Suggested fingering

|--1--|--2--|--3--|-----|-----|
|--1--|-----|-----|--4--|-----|
|--1--|-----|-----|--4--|-----|
|-----|--1--|-----|--3--|--4--|
         |
        8th fret

Click here for more fingering possibilities of form 3

 

Blues scale form 4

Scale functions

|--5--|-----|-----|- 7--|-----|
|-----|- 3--|-----|--4--|- 5--|
|-----|- 7--|-----|--1--|-----|
|-----|--4--|- 5--|--5--|-----|
         |
        10th fret

Suggested fingering

|--1--|-----|-----|--3--|-----|
|-----|--1--|-----|--3--|--4--|
|-----|--1--|-----|--3--|-----|
|-----|--1--|--2--|--3--|-----|
         |
        10th fret

Blues scale form 5

Scale functions

|-----|- 7--|-----|--1--|-----|
|-----|--4--|- 5--|--5--|-----|
|-----|--1--|-----|-----|- 3--|
|- 5--|--5--|-----|-----|- 7--|
         |
       12th fret

Suggested fingering

|-----|--1--|-----|--3--|-----|
|-----|--1--|--2--|--3--|-----|
|-----|--1--|-----|-----|--4--|
|--1--|--1--|-----|-----|--4--|
         |
       12th fret

Blues scale form 1 an octave higher

After form 5, the next higher position is form 1 again only starting an octave higher at the 15th fret.

Scale functions

|--1--|-----|-----|- 3--|-----|
|--5--|-----|-----|- 7--|-----|
|-----|- 3--|-----|--4--|- 5--|
|-----|- 7--|-----|--1--|-----|
         |
       15th fret

Suggested fingering

|--1--|-----|-----|--4--|-----|
|--1--|-----|-----|--4--|-----|
|-----|--1--|-----|--3--|--4--|
|-----|--1--|-----|--3--|-----|
         |
        15th fret

Click here for a printer friendly version of the 5 positions.

 

 

Scales
The Blues Scale

 

Extended blues scale forms

The best way to think of these extended blues scale forms is as connections between the 5 position forms that you just learned.

A Blues (extended form 1)
scale functions

|-----|-----|- 3--|-----|--4--|- 5--|--5--|
|-----|-----|- 7--|-----|--1--|-----|-----|
|- 3--|-----|--4--|- 5--|--5--|-----|-----|
|- 7--|-----|--1--|-----|-----|-----|-----|
   |                                   |
  3rd fret                            9th fret

Suggested fingering

|-----|-----|--1--|-----|--1--|--2--|--3--|
|-----|-----|--1--|-----|--3--|-----|-----|
|--1--|-----|--1--|--2--|--3--|-----|-----|
|--1--|-----|--3--|-----|-----|-----|-----|
   |                                   |
  3rd fret                            9th fret

 

Below is a diagram that shows how the individual forms fit into this bigger extended form.

|-----|-----|- 3--|-----|--4--|- 5--|--5--|
|-----|-----|- 7--|-----|--1--|-----|-----|
|- 3--|-----|--4--|- 5--|--5--|-----|-----|
|- 7--|-----|--1--|-----|-----|-----|-----|
|______form 1_____| 
            |______form 2_____|    
                        |______form 3_____|

 

 

A Blues (extended form 2)
scale functions

|-----|-----|-----|-----|- 7--|-----|--1--|
|-----|-----|- 3--|-----|--4--|- 5--|--5--|
|-----|-----|- 7--|-----|--1--|-----|-----|
|- 3--|-----|--4--|- 5--|--5--|-----|-----|
   |                                   |
  8th fret                           14th fret

Suggested fingering

|-----|-----|-----|-----|--1--|-----|--3--|
|-----|-----|--1--|-----|--1--|--2--|--3--|
|-----|-----|--1--|-----|--3--|-----|-----|
|--1--|-----|--1--|--2--|--3--|-----|-----|
   |                                   |
  8th fret                           14th fret

 

Below is a diagram that shows how the individual forms fit into this bigger extended form.

|-----|-----|-----|-----|- 7--|-----|--1--|
|-----|-----|- 3--|-----|--4--|- 5--|--5--|
|-----|-----|- 7--|-----|--1--|-----|-----|
|- 3--|-----|--4--|- 5--|--5--|-----|-----|
|______form 3_____| 
            |______form 4_____|    
                        |______form 5_____|  
                                      

Click here for a printer friendly version of the extended forms.