In my first Weekend Workout post, I started off with the First Mode of the Major Scale: The Ionian Mode, working on the Standard, 3-Notes/String and the lmaj7 Arpeggio in all seven patterns as outlined in Guy’s Scales Modes and Arpeggios (see photo below) lesson plan. I suggest that you keep working on that mode, working through the key of G, A, Bb, C and so on.
Week No. 2: The Blues Scale (Boxes 1-5):
I’ve often had questions regarding what are commonly called “the modes”. These refer to the Ionian, Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, Mixolydian, Aeolian and Locrian modes of the traditional diatonic major scale. If this makes no sense to you, it probably doesn’t have to. Modes are actually very simply, and mostly on a guitar they tend to serve as nothing more than “boxes” for the diatonic scale.
As it turns out, if you combine the major and minor pentatonic scales, without the blue notes involved, you’ll get the notes in the mixolydian mode. The mixolydian mode is the mode you always want to use over 7th chords, which are the main chords in a blues song. So you’re already playing modes and didn’t even know it, if you’re familiar with the major modes listed above.
Once you add the blue notes to the pentatonic scales, thus turning them into “blues scales”, you’ve also added the blues notes to the mixolydian mode and there really isn’t any more to it. Sorry if you are disappointed.
You’ll sometimes see this scale called the “composite blues scale” on the internet. it’s nothing you don’t already know, just a name that has caught on through the web. And again, it’s just a mixolydian mode with the blue notes, which is just the major and minor blues scales (boxes 1 and 2) put together. Once again, nothing you don’t already know, right ?
Sunday, August 7th, 2011
Beyond Blues: The Composite Blues Scale
by Jeff McErlain
As we know, a standard blues progression is made up of three dominant-7th chords—the I, IV, and V. This month, we’re going to look at some cool ways to spice up the I chord. To make things easier, we’ll stick to the key of A, so our I chord will be A7. A quick and simple way to spice up that chord is by mixing two very familiar scales, the major and minor blues scales. If we were to look at the formula for this scale it would be root–b3–4–b5–5–b7.
What makes this scale very cool is the added b5 or “blue note.” The b5 adds some chromaticism to the scale, which it doesn’t have otherwise. A great sound is to really play up the chromaticism in a lick. I really love the rub and tension those notes can add to a line. If you haven’t spent some quality time with the blues scale, I suggest you do!
Buddy Guy and B.B. King (The Real Blues Brothers)
An A7 chord is spelled A–C#–E–G or root–3–5–b7. If we look at our minor blues scale we can see that it does not contain a very important note of the chord, the natural 3rd or C#. Although the scale sounds great, it does have some room to expand. A simple option to play over the A7 chord is the A major blues scale. This scale consists of A–B–C–C#–E–F# and its formula is root–2–b3–3–4–
6. This scale now includes the natural 3rd (C#).The real fun starts when we mix the two scales together, as we see in Fig. 1. This is called the composite blues scale. Whoa! That’s a lot of notes to think about. Here we have A–B–C–C#–D–Eb–E–F#–G, or root–2–b3–3–4–b5–5–6–b7. That’s nine notes.
Before you get overloaded, let’s take a closer look at all the harmonic goodness going on inside here. First, we have a series of half-steps that go from B to E, and that’s where the fun lies as we can see in Fig. 2. We can use this same technique to create a classic-sounding blues turnaround, as shown in Fig. 3. To get a jazzier sound, I used all the half-steps found in this scale to create a classic bop lick with a bluesy twist as seen in Fig. 4.
Buddy Guy B.B. King (King of Blues)
Eric Clapton Larry Carton and Tak Matsumoto
As you can see, the composite blues scale has many exciting possibilities, and I have just scratched the surface here. The thing to remember—and the key to breaking this down—is that all you are doing is mixing the major and minor blues scales, nothing more! So if you are feeling overwhelmed at the many options and sounds, start with something as simple as adding one new note to your minor blues scale. The first note I’d suggest is the natural 3rd (C#), which will put you on the right track. Remember, we can use these licks on the I chord of the blues, but be careful of that C# against the IV chord (D7)—it can really clash. What to do? Just don’t play it.
As you can see, I was fortunate enough to locate another post in the www.premierguitar.com blog that went right along with what I was showing you today in my 2nd week of my “Weekend Workout”. Take the time to review this closely and then practice the scales over and over in between practicing the major scales from last weeks workout. We have to keep up with all previous weeks lesson plans in an effort to really take advantage of the plan.
I hope you are enjoying the “Weekend Workout”, it will get more interesting and more difficult as we move further along so hang in there with me. I’m working the lesson plan right along with you so feel free to ask any questions that come up. My email is bobs.music@comcast.net or you can always reach me here on the blog.
Enjoy the rest of your weekend, I’m headed outside to do some landscaping and lawn work with my better half. We have to keep up with it even though we’d love to be doing a hundred other things between us. Give your kids a big hug;
Until next time. . . . . . . .
Bob
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