Green Belt: Level 4 Guitar Lessons

Minor Blues Scale

The minor blues scale is based on the minor pentatonic scale, except that there is a chromatic augmented 4th/flatted 5th note added, changing it from pentatonic (five-note) to a six-note blues scales. This scales retains the "guitar-friendly fingering patterns of pentatonic scales, and is used interchangeably with pentatonic scales in rock music, or other applications, where a lick is to take on a bluesy feel.

The example below is in the keys of A minor, the most common key in blues, owing to the easy chords and easy playability in the 5th position. As usual, the white dots are the root note in each scale, and the maroon notes are those that are the distinguishing note. The blue notes are those that connect the minor scale to the parallel root in the major scale.

Minor Blues Scale

The minor blues scale is the surest choice when singing the blues because of the role of the minor 3rd in setting the sad tone for the overall melody. The flatted 5th most commonly serves as a passing note in chromatic runs between the perfect 4th and perfect 5th, adding a little color and tension and release.