An interactive keyboard is available for this lesson, it will or should have already loaded directly above. The file for this keyboard tool is 728k and may take a while depending on your internet connection speed. If the keyboard has not fully loaded above, I suggest that you move on reading the lesson as this process takes place.
The blues scale is made up of six pitches. They are the 5 notes of the minor pentatonic scale, plus one additional note. The note added is the diminished 5th measured from the scale tonic. For example, by adding to the C minor pentatonic scale (ie. 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.
It is strongly suggested that in studying this scale you use the interval pattern shown above. In earlier lessons I provided a pattern of "steps" which could be used to build the particular scale .In this scale half steps (H) are between the 3rd and 4th and the 4th and 5th scale degrees. There are step and 1/2, or minor 3rd, intervals between both the 1st and 2nd and 5th and 6th scale degrees as well. All the remaining steps are called whole steps (W).
The following pattern is used to build the blues scale:
1 b3 4 b5 5 b7 1(8)
If you did not do so earlier, use the interactive keyboard so that you can hear what a Blues Scale sounds like. Remember to follow the rules outlined above.
Using the pattern for the blues scale shown above. Major scales can be created on any of the twelve pitches on the keyboard. In the following window try to build a major scale, using pitch letter names, which starts on the pitch of F.
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1 - b3
- 4 - b5 - 5 - b7
- 8
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Did you get it right? Put mouse here to find out.
Assignment: (If you choose to accept it:)
Create Blues scales in at least 5 keys. The twelve usual tonic letter names are listed below.
C, Db, D, Eb, E, F, F#, G, Ab, A, Bb, B
For an extra challenge, try these.....
Cb, D#, E#, Fb, G#, A#,B#
E-mail me with your answers, webmaster@glassmusicworks.com.
Be sure to include the type of scales you were attempting to build.