Playing Blues Scales

A blues (minor) scale consists of six notes (1 m3 4 b5 5 m7) which are separated from each other by the following intervals: 1½-1-1/2-1/2-1½-1 (Ex. in C: C-Eb-F-Gb-G-Bb). If you transpose it into a different key, the tonic (1) will be your point of reference. A blues scale is nothing more than a minor pentatonic scale with an added “blue note” (b5). Blues scales are an essential tool for soloing and improvising on chord progressions/changes in a minor key. They are inseparably tied to the blues, but are equally used in rock, soul, funk, pop, heavy metal, etc. This course provides: the five positions of the blues scale (diagrams and video), three technical exercises (first in triplets, then in quads, finally in thirds) with their corresponding recordings to get accustomed to them, and seven licks for putting them into practice by playing them along to backing tracks.