The blues scale is your secret weapon for authentic blues, rock, and country guitar playing. This powerful six-note scale, an evolution of the pentatonic scale with the addition of a crucial chromatic “blue note,” is the key to that unmistakable bluesy flavor.
Ready to dive into the blues scale? Fender Play offers a comprehensive learning experience, guiding you through essential blues riffs, techniques, and iconic songs from blues masters like Robert Johnson and Stevie Ray Vaughan. Explore the Blues Form Basics: I IV V Guitar Collection on Fender Play to supercharge your blues journey!
Unleashing Your Blues Potential with the Blues Scale
Mastering the Guitar Blues Scales is more than just learning notes; it’s about unlocking improvisation and developing your ear. Whether you’re jamming over a classic 12-bar blues progression or adding bluesy licks to a rock and roll track, this scale is your foundation. Practicing the blues scale not only enhances your improvisational skills but also trains your ear to recognize and incorporate authentic blues phrases into your playing.
Similar to pentatonic scales, the blues scale comes in both major and minor variations. In this guide, we’ll focus on the essential A minor blues scale, a cornerstone for blues guitarists. We’ll break down four key positions to play this scale and then introduce movable shapes, empowering you to play the minor blues scale in any key. Finally, we’ll apply your knowledge by learning a 12-bar blues in A and exploring practical blues scale exercises.
Deciphering the Notes of the A Minor Blues Scale
The A minor blues scale consists of six notes that create its signature sound:
- A
- C
- D
- D#
- E
- G
The intervals within the minor blues scale remain consistent across all keys. These intervals are structured as: whole step and a half step, whole step, half step, half step, whole step and a half step, and whole step.
The “blue note” in this A minor blues scale is D# (or Eb). The chromatic movement from D to D# to E creates that characteristic “walking blues” sound, instantly recognizable and essential to the scale’s unique character.
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Exploring A Minor Blues Scale Positions on the Guitar
Like other scales, the A minor blues scale can be played in numerous positions across the guitar neck. We will concentrate on four fundamental positions to get you started.
When referencing the following guitar scale diagrams, remember these notations: “O” represents an open string, and the numbered circles correspond to finger placement:
- Index finger
- Middle finger
- Ring finger
- Pinkie
1st (Open) Position
To play the A minor blues scale in the open position (1st position), use your fingers on the frets as follows: index finger (1st fret), middle finger (2nd fret), ring finger (3rd fret), and pinkie finger (4th fret).
5th Position (E-Shaped)
For the A minor blues scale in the 5th position, your index finger starts on the 5th fret, followed by your middle finger (6th fret), ring finger (7th fret), and pinkie finger (8th fret). This position begins on the 5th fret of the low E string and is often referred to as the E-shaped blues scale due to its visual resemblance to the E major barre chord shape.
7th Position (D-Shaped)
The A minor blues scale in the 7th position begins with your index finger on the 7th fret of the D string. Note that you’ll need to slightly shift your hand up one fret when you reach the B string to maintain the scale pattern, allowing your index finger to play notes on the 8th fret. This position is also 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, start with your index finger on the 12th fret of the A string. This position requires a shift: move your hand up one fret when you reach the B string so your index finger is on the 13th fret. Then, shift your hand back to the initial position for the high E string. This position is known as the A-shaped blues scale, mirroring the A major barre chord shape.
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Kirk Fletcher on the Blues Pentatonic Scale
Learn from a master! In this Technique of the Week segment, renowned blues guitarist Kirk Fletcher (The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Mannish Boys) delves into the pentatonic blues guitar scale. Essential for any aspiring blues guitarist, Fletcher expertly breaks down this versatile scale and demonstrates his favorite licks rooted in the pentatonic blues.
Blues Scale Tablature: E-Shaped and A-Shaped
Now that you’re familiar with the E-shaped, A-shaped, and D-shaped guitar blues scales through diagrams, let’s explore tablature (tabs) to visualize how to play these scales in ascending and descending patterns.
Remember that these scale shapes are movable. This crucial concept means you can play these exact patterns anywhere on the guitar neck to play the blues scale in different keys. Knowing the notes on your E, A, and D strings is incredibly helpful as you practice moving these scales up and down the fretboard.
E-Shaped Blues Scale Tab
This scale is named “E-shaped” because it starts on the low E string. Begin with your index finger on the 5th fret of the low E string (A) and follow the tab to play the scale ascending and descending.
A-Shaped Blues Scale Tab
The A-shaped blues scale starts on the A string. Place your index finger on the 12th fret of the A string (A) and follow the tab to play it ascending and descending. Don’t forget the hand shift: move up one fret on the B string and then back to the starting position on the high e string!
D-Shaped Blues Scale
The D-shaped blues scale in A minor starts on the 7th fret of the D string (A). Begin with your index finger on the 7th fret and prepare to shift your hand up one fret as you ascend to the B string. When descending, shift back to the starting position on the G string, and then shift up again as you reach the low E string. (Diagram/Tab for D-shaped scale could be added here if available in source for visual completeness, though not explicitly provided in original text).
Playing the Blues Scale Over a 12-Bar Blues Progression
The guitar blues scale truly shines when played over chord progressions, especially the iconic 12-bar blues. Traditionally, the 12-bar blues uses three chords: the I, IV, and V chords of a key. In A minor blues, these chords are A, D, and E. However, a blues shuffle isn’t about strumming full chords. Instead, you’ll play simplified, two-string versions of each chord to create that driving blues rhythm.
The 12-bar blues progression is instantly recognizable. You’ve heard it countless times in blues, early rock and roll, and country music.
To achieve the authentic 12-bar blues feel, play with downstrokes, emphasizing beats one and three in each measure to get the shuffle rhythm. Here’s a tab showing a standard 12-bar blues pattern: (12-bar blues tab could be added here if available in source for practical application, though not explicitly provided in original text).
Blues Scale Practice Exercises
Practicing the A minor guitar blues scales is crucial for finger dexterity and ear training. Start by practicing each scale position individually until you can play them comfortably.
Next, use a looping 12-bar blues backing track in A and practice improvising using the A minor blues scale in each position. Experiment with a syncopated rhythm to add authentic blues phrasing. Listen to the backing track and play the scale in sections, treating the notes on each string as a phrase. As you become more comfortable, break the scale into smaller sections of three or four notes across strings to develop more complex licks.
This type of practice will enhance your improvisation skills and may even spark your own original blues licks and riffs.
Another effective exercise is to play each blues scale shape ascending and descending across the neck. Starting with the E-shaped scale, play it up and down, beginning at the first fret and moving up one fret with each repetition. Continue up to the thirteenth fret, then descend one fret at a time back to the first fret.
Playing the scales across a 12-fret span lets you hear the scale in every key, strengthening your ear training. You can also use this exercise to memorize the notes on the E, A, and D strings by naming the root note of each scale as you move up and down the neck.
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