My last post covered major blues scales.
This post will cover how to construct a minor blues scale. It will also provide a common fingering for the scale, along with instruction on how to play it on a guitar in any key.
Minor Blues Scales: Theory
The minor blues scale is the scale that most people are referring to when they talk about “the blues scale.”
The scale formula for a minor blues scale is 1, b3, 4, b5, 5, b7.
A minor blues scale contains the first, flatted third, fourth, flatted fifth, fifth and flatted seventh degrees of the major scale with the same root note.
A Minor Blues Scale
For example, an A minor blues scale contains the notes A, C, D, Eb, E and G — the first, flatted third, fourth, flatted fifth, fifth and flatted seventh notes in an A major scale (fig.1).
Fig.1
E Minor Blues Scale
An E minor blues scale contains the notes E, G, A, Bb, B and D — the first, flatted third, fourth, flatted fifth, fifth and flatted seventh notes in an E major scale (fig.2).
Fig.2
Relationship to a Minor Pentatonic Scale
While a scale is always compared to the major scale with the same root note to determine its numerical formula, it’s often useful to compare a scale to another, similar scale.
We will compare the minor blues scale to the minor pentatonic scale.
The scale formula for a minor pentatonic scale is 1, b3, 4, 5, b7.
The scale formula for a minor blues scale is 1, b3, 4, b5, 5, b7.
A minor blues scale is a minor pentatonic scale with the addition of a flatted fifth scale degree (the blues note).
Constructing a Minor Blues Scale
So we can construct a minor blues scale by adding a flatted fifth scale degree to the minor pentatonic scale with the same root note.
A Minor Blues Scale
For example, an A minor blues scale contains the same notes as an A minor pentatonic scale, with the addition of a flatted fifth scale degree, Eb (fig.3, highlighted in blue).
Fig.3
E Minor Blues Scale
An E minor blues scale contains the same notes as an E minor pentatonic scale, with the addition of a flatted fifth scale degree, Bb (fig.4, highlighted in blue).
Fig.4
All 12 Minor Blues Scales
All 12 minor blues scales are shown in fig.5, along with their corresponding minor pentatonic scales.
The flatted fifth scale degrees in the blues scales are highlighted in blue.
Fig.5
Minor Blues Scales: On a Guitar
A common fingering for a minor blues scale is shown in fig.6. The blues notes are highlighted in green.
Fig.6
This fingering will allow you to play a minor blues scale starting on any note:
- To play an A minor blues scale, start the pattern on the A on the sixth string, fifth fret (fig.7a).
- To play an E minor blues scale, start the pattern on the E on the sixth string, 12th fret (fig.7b).
Fig.7
Blues Scale Box Patterns on a Guitar
The box patterns for the relative major and minor blues scales are identical to the box patterns for the relative major and minor pentatonic scales, except for the addition of the blues notes in the blues box patterns.
Each of the five patterns includes all of the notes in both a major blues scale and its relative minor blues scale. Only the root notes of the two scales are different in each pattern.
The first (and most commonly used) box pattern is shown in fig. 8 with the major blues scale root notes highlighted in blue. The blues notes are highlighted in green.
Fig.8
The same pattern is shown in fig.9 with the minor pentatonic scale root notes highlighted in red. Again, the blues notes are highlighted in green.
Fig.9
C Major/A Minor Blues Box Pattern
When played in fifth position on a guitar, the pattern includes all of the notes in a C major blues scale (root notes highlighted in blue) and an A minor blues scale (root notes highlighted in red). The blues notes are highlighted in green (fig.10).
Fig.10
G Major/E Minor Blues Box Pattern
When played in 12th position on a guitar, the pattern includes all of the notes in a G major blues scale (root notes highlighted in blue) and an E minor blues scale (root notes highlighted in red). The blues notes are highlighted in green (fig.11).
Fig.11
Blues Scale Soloing
The same blues box pattern is used to solo with a major blues scale and/or its relative minor blues scale.
For example, you can use the box pattern shown in fig.10 to solo with a C major blues scale and/or an A minor blues scale.
To solo with a C major blues scale, emphasize C’s in your solo. Start, end and pause many of your phrases, patterns, sequences and runs on C’s to bring out the tonality of a C major blues scale.
To solo with an A minor blues scale, emphasize A’s in your solo. Start, end and pause many of your phrases, patterns, sequences and runs on A’s to bring out the tonality of a A minor blues scale.
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