Introduction to the Blues Scale

In this lesson, I'm going to introduce the blues scale, work out how to construct it from a root note, and discuss the relationships of notes to the root numerically.

Constructing the Blues Scale

I've played a blues in D, so I'm going to call D number one. The degrees of the D scale are as follows:

1. First Degree: D (Root)
2. Second Degree: E
3. Third Degree: F# (Major Third)
4. Fourth Degree: G
5. Fifth Degree: A
6. Sixth Degree: B
7. Seventh Degree: C#

Then we're back to the octave, which is the root.

Changing the Interval

I'll be talking a lot about these numbers and pointing at my fingers as we go.

The first interval I want to change in the blues is the third. I want to create a minor sound because the blues is essentially sad music.

Flattening the Third

• Instead of this major third starting our tune, "Leaving Town," I want it to be minor.
• Already, it starts to sound a little bit more clashy, dissonant, and gritty, which is what we want.

Scale Modifications

• I'm not going to play the second in my blues scale. I'm going to jump straight to the third.
• Then I'm going to play the fourth, which remains as is: G.
• The next note is a really clashy, interesting sound: a flattened fifth.

This note is between G and A, and in this key, it is G#. Hopefully, already you're capturing some of that blues sound.

• I'm then going to correct the G# and it's going to go back to a normal fifth: A.
• Lastly, I'm going to omit the sixth as well and jump straight to the seventh.

Instead of it being a C# as per a D major scale, it's going to be a C natural, again, a flattening process to create a more minor, crunchy sound.

Practice

I like to take some time to play those notes and try to capture the spirit of the blues as we met in "Leaving Town."