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 Blues Minor Scales
Author: mmatisoff 
Date:   2018-12-24 02:47

Do the blues minor scales have the same pattern (1 ♭3 4 ♭5 5 ♭7) as the blues major scales (e.g., Cmaj = C Eb F Gb G Bb)? Tx

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 Re: Blues Minor Scales
Author: Matt74 
Date:   2018-12-24 05:57

I'm sure someone more knowledgeable can say more, but I don't think of it that way. I think of the blues scale as being it's own thing, and technically it's only "minor", because it contains the minor third.

I think of flat 3rds, 5ths, and 7ths as alterations of the major scale. Depending on the tune and what the band is playing you can use them in a "major" or "minor" tune. Jazz players tend not to run the straight blues scale as much as Blues or R&B players do, but they use flat 3rds, 5ths, and 7ths all the time.

Again, I'm sure someone more sophisticated can say it better, but when you are playing the blues - meaning it sounds bluesy - you can play mostly flat thirds. When you are playing a major tune in a 12 bar blues form - that sounds like jazz in a major key - you can play more major thirds.

If you like you could think of a "major blues scale" as something like 1, 2, b3, 3, 4, (b5), 5, 6, b7. or: C, D, Eb, E, F, (F#), G, A, Bb, C.

All that said, most of the time if you start playing blues scales everyone will follow.

- Matthew Simington


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 Re: Blues Minor Scales
Author: Arnoldstang 
Date:   2018-12-25 23:31

One blues scale for major and minor. However I would suggest the following exercise instead of a carte blanche, random opproach to employing the scale. Practice playing the modes of the blues scale to fit the blues changes. eg C7. Use the C blues scale starting on C. For F7 start the C blues scale starting on F. For G7 use the C blues scale starting on G. If are using Dm7 in the blues then alter things a bit by adding a D to to the C blues scale and start on D.
Examine how the tensions are changing over different chords. ie. over F7 you get 1, b9, 2, 4, 5, b7, You can see that b9, 2, 4, and b7 are the more colourful notes. Examine the other chords.

Freelance woodwind performer

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