The Blues or Pentatonic Scale
Download free chord & scales chart here, to get started.
What is the blues scale on guitar?
The blues scale. Same key, different positions.
The blues scale. Different key, same shape.
Arpeggios with the blues/pentatonic scale.
Connecting the different positions together
Practice using backing tracks.
What is the blues or pentatonic scale on guitar?
The blues scale is another guitar term for the pentatonic scale. A pentatonic scale is a scale that has five notes per octave and is often used for blues, rock, jazz guitar and other music genres.
There are two types of Blues or Pentatonic scales. The minor and the major pentatonic. Both of these scale types use five notes / five degrees of the major or minor scales.
Major and minor scales have 8 degrees or 8 notes per octave. A degree is the distance from the first note of the scale to the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th or 8th degree or note.
The pentatonic scale or the blues guitar scale, uses five of these degrees. The pentatonic scale uses the 1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th and 8th degrees from either the major or minor scales. Creating either the Major or minor pentatonic scale.
The blues scale. Same key, different positions.
For any type of scale whether major, minor or the pentatonic (to name a few), you can start on different frets across the fret board to change the key whilst keeping the shape of the scale the same.
In order to play the same scale in a different position whilst remaining in the same key, we need to start on the same root note but, on a different fret.
Once you’ve learned where the different starting points are and their ‘shapes’ for the same type of scale, you can connect these pentatonic scale or blues scale positions across the fretboard. This allows you to make your solos more interesting whilst improving your knowledge of the fretboard.
It’s worth noting that you can connect any type of scale across the fretboard to any of their various positions.
Once you’ve learnt how to connect these different positions you can then begin to learn how to manoeuvre around the fretboard with ease.
Just because you’re using the pentatonic scale, this doesn’t mean that you can’t include the notes
The blues scale. Different key, same shape.
We can transpose the same blues or minor pentatonic scale up or down a fret keep the shape the same. We can’t apply the same shape to a different string, but we can connect the different starting points from different strings so that you can create one continuous scale across the fretboard.
If you want to keep the same scale type and shape but change the key you have to start on the same string but from a different fret. Which fret is you want, will depend on which key you want to be in.
For example, if we had a scale that started on string five we couldn’t keep this scale’s shape the same should want to start on string six. The pattern would have to change. But we can easily transpose the same kind of scale into a different key by moving up or down the same fret on the same string.
Assuming you’ve learned how to connect the different scale’s positions together, it’s the same idea for your new key. Everything is moved up a fret, or the relevant number of frets.
The ‘Blues’ note
It’s worth noting that you could add what’s nicked named ‘The Blues Note’. It’s the flattened 5th note of the scale which creates a chromatic run. This can happen in both octaves of the pentatonic scale.
A chromatic note is where you’re not missing out any notes in order. Useful as you’ll discover more ideas when improving. Do you like it’s sound?
It’s useful to be able to identify notes but when you’re playing live you’re not actually thinking what note is this but more is it interesting and keeping your audiences attention? They’ll appreciate the effort.
Arpeggios with the blues/pentatonic scale.
Scales and arpeggios mixed together can create a variety of interesting combinations and sounds. Arpeggios are useful due their lack of notes but also provide a fun way of travelling across the fretboard from one starting point to another.
Arpeggios in their simplest form can be described as a broken chord. Achieved by holding down any chord that you currently know and playing each string separately starting from the bottom string which may be either string 6, 5 or 4.
Arpeggios can be spread across the neck of the guitar, rather than being played in their chord form. You’d still be using the same notes as the chord, just in a more interesting way.
If you’re playing the g major arpeggio for example, you’d start on fret number 3 string 6 and end up on fret 15 string 1. These methods improve stretches, strength and stamina. It will also add a wow factor to your playing too.
Improvising tips.
When improvising, it’s fun to be able to travel from one end of the guitar neck to another. You can take your time between these notes, or you can end up in a new position very quickly.
Like with the pentatonic scales you can then start to improvise and use these arpeggios to link different positions and octaves together which in turn will encourage you to use all of the fret board.
Once you’re familiar with these scale patterns you can then start to take segments of these arpeggios and pentatonic scales and start to improvise. You could then add notes which aren’t technically in the key or scale and start to add some interest in to your melodies.
Try using hammer-ons, pull-offs, slides, pinched harmonics, natural harmonics within the scale to create something musically interesting. If you find yourself going over the same cluster of notes, try playing the same notes but in a different position. You’ll find new ideas simply because you’re in a different area of the guitar.
Using fret 5 to connect from position 3 to position 7 and 7 to 12.
Using the chord & scales diagram that you’ve hopefully downloaded, you can connect the pentatonic scale using the red dots. You’ll be able to stop at any fret in that position on any string, move along to the red dot on the same string allowing you to connect to the next octave, or position. This allows you to create the same scale with the notes in the same order across the entire fretboard which in turn, will give you new ideas and variations of ideas that you might already have. Include the blues note too, to create even more interesting ideas.
In the chord chart ,I’ve shown you three main positions, but there are at least five using the same diagram. On fret 12 you can start with finger four, for example.
Practice using backing tracks.
There’s nothing more dull than trying to improvise by yourself. Different backing track styles will help you improve your improvising. You could just practice your scales with a backing track, but make sure it’s in the same key! A good place to start improvising is actually by learning the blues….
- quist backing tracks
- Quist YouTube channel.