The Blues Scale

What’s up guys! Bryan here and today I want to talk about the blues scale! 

You probably already know about the blues scale, so we’re going to focus more on my thinking, the concepts behind my approach, and how I practice it. We will also talk about why certain shapes are more favorable to play on the guitar.

How to make a blues scale?

The blues scale is the same as our minor pentatonic with one additional note - the b5.

In the A Minor pentatonic scale we have: A, C, D, E, G  (1, b3, 4, 5, b7).

So to create our blues scale all we need to do is add the Eb (b5)!

It’s important to get really familiar with this shape! Practise using a metronome or if you’re feeling adventurous a jam track, and try some sequencing to get comfortable with moving around inside this box while keeping time.

Why is this particular shape so popular?

The blue notes in this shape are positioned in a way that gives us easy access to articulating them expressively, using slides and bends. Experimentation is key here: try using different techniques to move to and from these blue notes such as hammer-ons, pull-offs, bends and slides. 

Lots of classic blues and rock phrases are based around this shape and by playing around you will soon discover many - and hopefully create some of your own too! 

(For some examples to help get you started check the video above).

I hope this came in handy, and remember to check back for more regular tutorials, thanks!