Transcript

Let's talk about the Blue scale. Blue scale is a bit of a misleading term.

Real Blues players don't really think of scales. They may have practiced scales at some point, but the actual playing of the blues is not picking notes from a scale, but rather, the Blues scale as a concept, is something that captures a bit of the Blues flavor that can be used as a tool. So, when most people use the term Blues scale, it refers to minor pentatonic, with a flat fifth added. So, what I mean by that, is the pentatonic scale has five notes.

Okay? So, if I add an extra note in between the fourth and the fifth, I get this note. It sounds kind of funny on its own, but if I throw it into the mix, it sounds like this. If I play the same thing an octave higher, I get this. I'm adding a little bravado and a slight bend on the third, this makes it sound a little bluesy-er too. So, you'll hear that in a lot of riffs, you'll hear it in some blues licks. Blues, again, is certainly not limited to the Blue scale, but it's good to know. Here are a couple of examples of playing in a metal style, using the Blue scale. And, that's this lesson.

Have fun with the Blue scale.