The blues scale is your gateway to soulful guitar playing across genres like blues, rock, and country. This essential six-note scale builds upon the pentatonic scale by adding a single chromatic note – the famed “blue note.” This addition is what gives the blues scale its distinctive and emotionally charged sound.
Ready to dive in? Fender Play offers a comprehensive learning experience, guiding you through blues riffs, techniques, and iconic songs from legends such as Robert Johnson and Stevie Ray Vaughan. Explore the Blues Form Basics: I IV V Guitar Collection on Fender Play to enhance your blues guitar journey.
Mastering the Blues Scale: Your Path to Guitar Improvisation
Learning the blues scale is a fundamental step for any guitarist looking to improvise fluidly over various chord progressions. From the classic 12-bar blues structure to energetic rock and roll rhythms, this scale provides the melodic vocabulary you need. Beyond improvisation, practicing the blues scale sharpens your ear, enabling you to identify and incorporate bluesy licks into your own unique playing style.
Similar to pentatonic scales, the blues scale comes in both major and minor forms. In this lesson, we will concentrate on the A minor blues scale, one of the most frequently used scales in blues guitar. We’ll explore four essential positions to play this scale across the guitar neck. Furthermore, you’ll discover three movable minor blues scale shapes, granting you the flexibility to play in any key. Finally, we will apply your knowledge by playing a 12-bar blues in A and engaging in targeted blues scale exercises.
Decoding the Notes of the A Minor Blues Scale
The A minor blues scale is composed of six notes, each contributing to its characteristic sound:
- A
- C
- D
- D# (Eb) – The Blue Note
- E
- G
The intervals that define the minor blues scale remain consistent across all keys. These intervals are structured as follows: whole step and a half step, whole step, half step, half step, whole step and a half step, and whole step.
Notice the fourth note, D# (or Eb), in the A minor blues scale. This is the crucial blue note. The chromatic movement created by the half steps from D to D# and then to E is what delivers that quintessential “walking blues” sound, instantly recognizable and central to the scale’s identity.
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Unveiling A Minor Blues Scale Positions on the Guitar Neck
Like other scales, the A minor blues scale can be played in numerous positions along the guitar neck. For this lesson, we will concentrate on four key positions that provide a solid foundation.
When examining the following guitar scale diagrams, remember these finger designations: ‘O’ represents an open string. The numbers 1 through 4 correspond to your fretting fingers:
- Index finger
- Middle finger
- Ring finger
- Pinkie
1st Position (Open Position)
To play the A minor blues scale in the open or 1st position, position your hand near the guitar nut. Use your index finger for notes on the 1st fret, middle finger for the 2nd, ring finger for the 3rd, and pinkie for the 4th fret. This position utilizes open strings and lower frets, making it a great starting point.
5th Position (E-Shaped)
For the A minor blues scale in the 5th position, shift your hand up the neck. Place your index finger on the 5th fret, middle finger on the 6th, ring finger on the 7th, and pinkie on the 8th fret. This position begins on the 5th fret of the low E string. Due to its shape resemblance to the E major barre chord shape, this is often referred to as the “E-shaped blues scale.”
7th Position (D-Shaped)
The A minor blues scale in the 7th position requires a slight hand adjustment. Start with your index finger on the 7th fret of the D string. As you ascend the scale and reach the B string, you’ll need to shift your hand up one fret so your index finger can reach the 8th fret notes. This position is known as the “D-shaped blues scale” because of its relation to the D major barre chord shape.
12th Position (A-Shaped)
To play the A minor blues scale in the 12th position, move further up the neck. Begin with your index finger on the 12th fret of the A string. This position also necessitates hand shifts. Upon reaching the B string, shift your hand up one fret so your index finger is on the 13th fret. Then, for the high E string, shift your hand back down to the original position. This scale shape is referred to as the “A-shaped blues scale,” mirroring the A major barre chord shape.
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Explore the Blues Pentatonic Scale with Kirk Fletcher
In this insightful “Technique of the Week” segment, renowned guitarist Kirk Fletcher (known for his work with the Fabulous Thunderbirds and Mannish Boys) delves into the pentatonic blues guitar scale. Essential for aspiring blues guitarists, Fletcher breaks down this versatile scale and demonstrates his favorite licks rooted in the pentatonic blues vocabulary.
Blues Scale Tabs: Putting Shapes into Practice
Now that you’ve visually explored the E-shaped, A-shaped, and D-shaped blues scales through diagrams, let’s translate those positions into guitar tablature. The following tabs will guide you through playing each of these scales in both ascending and descending directions.
A key advantage of these scale shapes is their movability. This means you can transpose these patterns to any key across the guitar neck. Familiarizing yourself with the notes on the E, A, and D strings is incredibly beneficial as you practice shifting these scale shapes up and down the fretboard. This knowledge allows you to quickly adapt and play the blues scale in any key.
E-Shaped Blues Scale Tab
Starting on the low E string, the E-shaped blues scale begins on the 5th fret (A). Follow the tab below to play this scale ascending and then descending. Pay attention to the fingerings suggested by the scale diagrams for efficient playing.
A-Shaped Blues Scale Tab
The A-shaped blues scale originates on the A string. Begin with your index finger on the 12th fret of the A string (A) and use the tab to navigate the scale upwards and downwards. Remember the slight hand shift required on the B string, and then back again for the high e string as indicated in the position diagrams.
D-Shaped Blues Scale
This D-shaped blues scale in A minor commences on the 7th fret of the D string (A). Start with your index finger on the 7th fret and prepare to shift your hand up one fret as you ascend and reach the B string. When descending, shift back to the starting position on the G string, and then shift up again when you reach the low E string. These shifts are crucial for maintaining proper finger spacing and playing the scale smoothly.
Playing the Blues Scale Over a 12-Bar Blues Progression
The blues scale truly shines when played over chord progressions, particularly the iconic 12-bar blues. This foundational blues structure traditionally uses three chords: the I, IV, and V chords of a key. In A minor, these chords are A, D, and E. However, in a blues shuffle, you’ll often play simplified versions of these chords on two strings, creating a driving rhythmic feel.
The 12-bar blues progression has an instantly recognizable sound, deeply embedded in blues music, early rock and roll, and country. Its familiarity makes it an excellent canvas for practicing the blues scale.
To achieve the authentic 12-bar blues sound, use downstrokes and emphasize beats one and three of each measure, creating a characteristic shuffle rhythm. The following guitar tab illustrates a standard 12-bar blues pattern in A.
Blues Scale Exercises: Building Fluency and Ear Training
Consistent practice is key to internalizing the blues scale and developing your improvisational skills. Begin by practicing the A minor blues scale in each of the four positions until you can play them comfortably and smoothly.
Next, play along with a looping 12-bar blues backing track in A. Practice improvising using the A minor blues scale in each position. Experiment with syncopated rhythms to add interest and groove to your playing. Start by focusing on playing scale fragments, treating the notes on each string as a musical phrase. Once this becomes comfortable, challenge yourself by breaking the scale into three or four-note sections across strings, creating more complex melodic ideas.
This type of practice not only develops your technique but also encourages improvisation and can spark your creativity, leading to the discovery of your own blues licks and riffs.
Another effective exercise for mastering blues scales is to systematically play each shape up and down the guitar neck. Starting with the E-shaped blues scale in the first fret position, play the scale ascending and descending. Then, move up one fret and repeat the shape. Continue this process up to the 13th fret. Once you reach the 13th fret, reverse direction and move down one fret for each repetition until you return to the first fret.
Traversing the scales across a 12-fret span allows you to hear the scale in every key, providing valuable ear training. You can further enhance this exercise by memorizing the notes on the E, A, and D strings. As you move up and down the neck, verbally name the root note of each scale position. This combines physical practice with theoretical knowledge, solidifying your understanding of the fretboard and the blues scale.
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