Get To Know The Minor Blues Scales... 

The Minor Blues Scale is a Minor Pentatonic Scale with one new note added; a flat 5th. The addition of that flat 5 note results in a chromatic passing note between scale degrees 4 & 5.

Content on this page requires a newer version of Adobe Flash Player.

Get Adobe Flash player

 
5 Positions Of The Minor Blues Scale....
Once again, we suggest you look at the big picture before diving into the details: learning the 5 logical inteconnected positiopns and fingering patterns of the E Minor Blues Scale. In musical lingo, the Minor Blues Scale is usually refered to as "THE Blues Scale" so from here on, When we say "THE Blues Scale", we'll be talking about the Minor Blues Scale -the Minor Pentatonic Scale with the additional note, the flat 5th of the key.
When working with these play along exercises you've undoubtedly developed a plan for dealing with the information found in the exercises. We've suggested several strategies:
  • Focus on the Root Note and neighboring tones.
  • Find 2 string Sweet Spots in the patterns.
  • Look for bits of favorite chords in the patterns.
  • Develop and use Melodic Devices.
Open Position, 12th Position . . . .
These ear training and visualization exercise are here for you to learn the sound of the Minor Blues Scales and get the shape of the scale patterns in your minds' eye. Listen carefully to each of the exercises and practice until you can play in perfect unison with the accompanying sound files. Once again, the large white numbers inside the scale diagrams are fingering suggestions.
Probably one of the least known and played patterns of the Minor Blues Scales this Root 5 scale is very useful and helpful because of that String 5 Root Note. This fingering pattern will help you connect your lead guitar lines across several positions.
The E Minor Blues Scales in position 7 is one of your 'first line of defense' scales beacuse String 5 Root Note. You'll very likely be playing rhythm in the vicinity of the 7trh fret, unless you're playing open string chords, so being able to pop right into this scale pattern will enable you to play fast short riffs without having to slide up to the 12th fret.
Last but certainly not least is the E Minor Blues Scales found in the 10th position is of particular importance because of its String 6 Root Note. The next pattern in our system would be the E Minor Blues Scales found in the 12th position, the most commonly known amd played version of the E Minor Blues Scale. Think of the scale below as the lower extrention of that most common, highly favored scale shape found in the 12 th position. This way of thinking about scales will help you connect the patterns together and avoid that 'stuck in a rut' feeling so common to those learning the art of playing and using scales.
Guided Practice......
Open this link for visualization practice with the Blues Scale in the Key of A.
Guided Practice......
Open this link for excercises and visualizationexercises featuring the 5 positions of the G Minor Blues Scale.
Principles Of Application......

To use and applyof the highly unusual and adaptive Minor Blues Scales, the same rules that govern the use of Minor Pentatonic Scales apply:

  • If a song, vamp or chord progression is based on a Minor Chord, then the Minor Blues Scale of that key can be interesting and acceptable choice for creating riffs, licks and also for soloing.
  • If a song, vamp or chord progression is based on a Major Chord, then the Minor Blues Scale of that key can be an interesting and acceptable choice for creating riffs, licks and also for soloing.
  • If a song, vamp or chord progression is based on a Dominant Chord, then the Minor Blues Scale of that key can be interesting and acceptable choice for creating riffs, licks and also for soloing.
Conclusion......

This lesson is designed to firm up your grasp of the Minor Blues Scale and its series of successive box patterns that appear on the neck of the guitar. This is trade certified, industry standard knowledge and is considered part of the basic arsenal and bag of tricks of professional working guitarists.