Guitar Blues Lesson The Blues Scale

The blues scale can be used in conjunction with a few different scales such as the heptatonic or the most common and the scale we will be working with today the hexatonic. This scale is better known as the minor pentatonic scale with a flattened 5^th.

The blues scale is uses most often used in rock, jazz and blues genres of music. This being said please after you learn anything musical experiment with it. Use these scales anywhere and anyhow you would like to try. That’s what makes music so great we are not required to conform to any rules. If it sounds right it is right. In lessons such as this guitar blues lesson we make suggestions to the most common uses. You take it from there.

 The blues scale contains a flatted fifth from the minor pentatonic scale. This flatted fifth is often call the blues note. The blues scale is based around the I, Iv, V chords of the major scale.

GUITAR BLUES LESSON:

                 Fret steps and Formula;

Blues scale fret steps:

W-H-W-H-H-W-H-W

Blues scale formula:

1-3-4-b5-5-b7-1

Guitar Blues Lessons:

Blues scale example 1                                                                                                      Blues scale example 2

 The boxes indicate the blues note. Notice how closely it matches the pentatonic scale.

This guitar blues lesson has shown you the basics of the blues scale. This is a fun and very useful scale. Use this the next time you are jamming. ENJOY!