More About "The Blues"

There are many "blues scales" (which can be played on the right hand.)

Now there is no denying that many instructors know only one. It is the one they were taught to play and thus they erroneously call it "the" blues scale.

However, this is NOT the case as there are many different versions of this scale.

The one I have chosen to teach you today I call the "simple blues scale." That's cause it is.

Simple, I mean. It's limited only by your personal creativity when applied to patterns.

It's what you right hand plays while the left hand is doing those chords I told you about in the last article.

It's made up of only six notes, Plus, you don't even have to change them when the left hand changes chords.

I mean you can, but you don't have to.

That's cause this particular scale is made up of the three roots of the three chords that make up the blues progression.

If you don't understand this last sentence, then the words you likely are having problems with are "roots" and "blues progression."

Let's stay with very simple, huh?

"Roots" are the main notes of the chords involved. The chords are usually named for their roots. (I'm gonna assume you know what a "chord" is - if not then put that in a comment below and I will answer.) For example, the roots in E7 and Am are E and A.

The "Blues Progression" was given HERE (click the link!)

Thus, the first three notes (in C) are C, F, and G.

The other three notes are blue notes.

Now these are totally new to my readers. They are notes that people have come to associate with blues (for various reasons which we won't go into here.)

These are (again for C Major) the notes Eb, Gb, and Bb. In other words, the flatted third note, the flatted 5th note and the flatted 7th note of the C Major Scale.

Thus, my "simple blues scale" has the three roots of the blues progression plus the 3 blue notes for a total of six notes, C Eb, F, Gb, G, and Bb, most of these notes can be reached with one hand.

Now whatever Major Scale you are using, ]the Blue Notes are always these. And the blues progression is always what I said.

Some songs sound "bluesy" without actually being blues, and that's cause they have numerous "blue notes." "Birth of the Blues" is one such.

You have the notes to use now. What you do with them is completely up to you. This blues scale is called by me "the simple blues scale" since it is so very simple and you don't even have to change the scale when the chords change.

If you have understood me on this you can likely tell me why it works as it does.