The Blues Scale Formula - Theory & Diagrams | Pianote (2024)

FAQs

What is the blues scale formula? ›

The major blues scale formula is 1 – 2 – ♭3 – ♮3 – 5 – 6. Which means the C major blues scale consists of the notes C – D – E♭ – E♮ – G – A. The minor blues scale formula is 1 – ♭3 – 4 – ♭5 – 5 – ♭7, so the C minor blues scale has the notes C – E♭ – F – G♭ – G – B♭.

The notes of the A Major Blues scale are A B C C# E F#. It's key signature has 3 sharps.

The major blues scale is 1, 2,♭3, 3, 5, 6 and the minor is 1, ♭3, 4, ♭5, 5, ♭7. The latter is the same as the hexatonic scale described above.

Major and minor scales have concrete, well-defined characters, but blues scales create entirely new characters by melding both major and minor sounds together into memorable scales. Like all chords and scales, blues scales are fixed patterns of notes.

The blues scale is a six-note progression that sounds right at home in blues, rock, and country music. This scale is essentially the pentatonic scale plus one chromatic note, often called the blue note.

There are two types of pentatonic scale; the major and the minor pentatonic scale. Both of these are important, and both are widely used in blues and rock guitar playing. This is especially true of the minor pentatonic scale, which has come to define the sound of blues and rock music.

What makes the blues scale different from a standard 5 note minor pentatonic scale, is the extra note - also known as the 'blue note', or the flat 5th in the case of the minor blues scale. The blue note is what gives the blues scale its distinctive sound, as it doesn't occur naturally within the scale.

The lyrics of a 12-bar blues song often follow what's known as an AAB pattern. "A" refers to the first and second four-bar verse, and "B" is the third four-bar verse. In a 12-bar blues, the first and second lines are repeated, and the third line is a response to them—often with a twist.

The blues progression uses chords I, IV and V of the key you are in. In the key of E, the I chord is E7, the IV chord is A7, and the V chord is B7. The I chord shares the same letter as the key itself (an E7 chord when we're in the key of E).

Blue notes are when we lower certain notes of a major scale so that we have a “sad” or “dark” sound. In blues, we lower the 3rd, 5th, and 7th to create this dark sounding scale.

What is the most common blues key? ›

The two most common keys in blues music are A and E. To play blues guitar in the key of E, the three chords needed are above: E7, A7, and B7. You will also need a D7 chord: Place your middle finger on the 2nd fret of the G string. Place your index finger on the 1st fret of the B string.

With that in mind, the major pentatonic scale's formula is 1 – 2 – 3 – 5 – 6 notes of a given scale. These five notes can also be found among the seven notes that make up the E major scale, with A and D# being the other two.

Now, let's look at the formula for a major scale. Pick any note to start. Play 2 whole steps, a half step, 3 more whole steps, and another half step to make a major scale. To summarize, the formula for a major scale is W, W, H, W, W, W, H.

Thus, the jazz minor scale can be represented by the following notation: 1, 2, ♭3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. The intervals between the notes of the jazz minor scale follow the sequence below: whole, half, whole, whole, whole, whole, half.