Blues Mandolin - Part Four - "Practicing The Blues Scale"

The Blues scale consists of 6 different notes.  They are the 5 notes of the minor pentatonic scale, plus one additional note.  The note added is the diminished 5th (o5) measured from the scale tonic.

For example :
  • adding to the C minor pent. scale : C - Eb - F - G - Bb - C
  • the diminished 5th - Gb
  • produces the C Blues scale : C - Eb - F - Gb - G - Bb - C
In relation to the Major scale the notes of the Blues scale are : 1 - b3 - 4 - b5 - 5 - b7 - 1.  The b3, b5 and b7 notes of the scale (for C Blues scale : Eb, Gb and Bb) are the so called blue notes of the scale.

Here are the Blues scales in all 12 keys listed in Circle of Fifths order.
  •     C Blues scale     C - Eb - F - Gb - G - Bb - C
  •     G Blues scale     G - Bb - C - Db - D - F - G
  •     D Blues scale     D - F - G - Ab - A - C - D
  •     A Blues scale     A - C - D - Eb - E - G - A
  •     E Blues scale      E - G - A - Bb - B - D - E
  •     B Blues scale      B - D - E - F - F# - A - B
  •     F# and Gb Blues scales     F# - A - B - C - C# - E - F#,     Gb - A - B - C - Db - E - Gb
  •     Db and C# Blues scales     Db - E - Gb - G - Ab - B - Db,     C# - E - F# - G - G# - B - C#
  •     Ab Blues scale    Ab - B - Db - D - Eb - Gb - Ab
  •     Eb Blues scale    Eb - Gb - Ab - A - Bb - Db - Eb
  •     Bb Blues scale    Bb - Db - Eb - E - F - Ab - Bb
  •     F Blues scale       F - Ab - Bb - B - C - Eb - F 
Each day, practice a different Blues Scale from this list, or if you are currently practicing the major and relative minor from the Circle of Fifths, add the Blues Scale to your daily practice.

It's recommended that you practice these scales with the following picking patterns:
  • 4 quarter notes per note: down up down up
  • 8 eighth notes per note: down up down up
  • 2 sets of triplets per note (3 notes each): down up down, up down up
  • 1 tremolo (4 beats long) per note
Labels: , ,