"Blues Scales"
Blues is a form of music that has influenced many other genres outside of it. It was spawned from jazz, it became its own genre, then rock was spawned from blues, and then blues came full circle to re-influence its own father jazz again in later days! Many jazz players, like Charlie Parker, started off playing blues while others commonly crossed genres with blues. Rock certainly never escaped its touch of blues either, as there are more rockers that cross genres with blues and use blues technique than anyone else today! Artists like Jimmy Page made use of blues in rock evident. So, what is it that gives the blues its signature down-home and dirty, yet ruggedly sad sort of sound? That, my friends, is the blues scale!
Blues is a form of music that has influenced many other genres outside of it. It was spawned from jazz, it became its own genre, then rock was spawned from blues, and then blues came full circle to re-influence its own father jazz again in later days! Many jazz players, like Charlie Parker, started off playing blues while others commonly crossed genres with blues. Rock certainly never escaped its touch of blues either, as there are more rockers that cross genres with blues and use blues technique than anyone else today! Artists like Jimmy Page made use of blues in rock evident. So, what is it that gives the blues its signature down-home and dirty, yet ruggedly sad sort of sound? That, my friends, is the blues scale!
Do not under estimate this! I've heard some people say that blues is very simple, doesn't need to be studied anymore, or its just pentatonic or chromatic scale simplicity, but this is very misguided and cruelly stereotypical ignorance that only people that know little to nothing about blues would ever say. Do you think BB King and Eric Clapton are simple? If you think yes, you need to read on, theres much you are missing.
The blues scale has the following in it: a root (1), a flat third (b 3rd), a fourth (4th), a sharp fourth (# 4th), a fifth (5th), and a flat seventh (b 7th). You can also add a second as a passing tone for variety, but seconds aren't very powerful in a blues scale.
The shape of a blues scale on the neck of your bass is pictured here (in Bb):
You should eventually get used to blues scale in all 12 keys, but for now it would be best to learn it in Bb and F.
Now for playing chord progressions, the most commonly used progression in blues is I, IV, V. This would mean the first of the scale (the root), the fourth, and the fifth. A good rule of thumb is, when in doubt, stick with the I, IV, V chord pattern!
Now go jump on that train and start singin the blues!,
Mark McAnaney, Solo Bassist
Mark McAnaney, Solo Bassist
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