My gosh! It's feels so good to be back...had an emotional issue for a while...but I'm back in the flow...
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Hey guys! 
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Well, in our last lesson, we talked about the pentatonic scale. Today's leason would be on the blues scale and the blues progression. With that being said, lets jump right in.
The Blue Scale
Definition: The blues scale is simply a variation of the major scale. Like I always say, all scales are built off of the major scale, with the exception of none.
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The alterations made to the major scale that gave rise to the blues scale are the flatted 3rd, the flatted 5th, otherwise known as the blues notes, were added to the major scale. The seventh note in the major scale was also altered. It was flatted. Thus, giving rise to the blues scale which is: 1 2 3b 3 4 5b 5 6 7b.
Now, you might be wondering or asking, why are there so many notes on the scale? And how can one play and memorize this scale? Well, oftentimes, most blues player just plays the minor pentatonic scale because in it, has the flatted 3rd and 5th. If you are conversant with the pentatonic, it will be easy for you. If you are not, click here to access my previous lesson on pentatonic scale.
Once these blues note are add to a major pentatonic scale, the scale automatically becomes a blues pentatonic scale. I wanted to teach this in my last lesson but I had to hold off on that, to avoid cognitive overload.
The C MINOR PENTATONIC scale already includes all but one of the blues notes. So, an easy way to sound bluesy is to play the minor pentatonic form. If you wanted to add the flatted fifth blues note, you would need to add one extra note to the form.
So, a Cmin pentatonic without the flatted 5th would be, 1 3b 4 5 7b.
If you choose to add the flatted 5th, it becomes: 1 3b 4 5b 5 7b.
The Blues Progression
The blues progression consist of 12measures. The blues progression makes use of Three (3) chord. These chords are represented by Roman numerals:
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Some Profound Blues Guitarists
- B B King
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Riley B. King (September 16, 1925 – May 14, 2015), known professionally as B.B. King, was an American blues singer, electric guitarist, songwriter, and record producer. King introduced a sophisticated style of soloing based on fluid string bending and shimmering vibrato that influenced many later electric blues guitarists.
- T - Bone Walker
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Aaron Thibeaux "T-Bone" Walker (May 28, 1910 – March 16, 1975) was an American blues guitarist, singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, who was a pioneer and innovator of the jump blues and electric blues sound. In 2011, Rolling Stone magazine ranked him number 67 on its list of "The 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time".
- Steve Ray Vaughan
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Stephen Ray Vaughan (October 3, 1954 – August 27, 1990) was an American musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer. In spite of a short-lived mainstream career spanning seven years, he was one of the most influential guitarists in the revival of blues in the 1980s. AllMusic describes him as "a rocking powerhouse of a guitarist who gave blues a burst of momentum in the '80s, with influence still felt long after his tragic death."
- Robert Johnson
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Robert Leroy Johnson (May 8, 1911 – August 16, 1938) was an American blues singer-songwriter and musician. His landmark recordings in 1936 and 1937 display a combination of singing, guitar skills, and songwriting talent that has influenced later generations of musicians. Johnson's shadowy and poorly documented life and death at age 27 have given rise to much legend. One Faustian myth says that he sold his soul to the devil at a local crossroads of Mississippi highways to achieve success. As an itinerant performer who played mostly on street corners, in juke joints, and at Saturday night dances, Johnson had little commercial success or public recognition in his lifetime.
- Albert King
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Albert Nelson (April 25, 1923 – December 21, 1992), known by his stage name Albert King, was an American blues guitarist and singer whose playing influenced many other blues guitarists. He is perhaps best known for the popular and influential album Born Under a Bad Sign (1967) and the title track.
- Eric Clapton
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Eric Patrick Clapton, CBE (born 30 March 1945), is an English rock and blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He is the only three-time inductee to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: once as a solo artist and separately as a member of the Yardbirds and of Cream. Clapton has been referred to as one of the most important and influential guitarists of all time. Clapton ranked second in Rolling Stone magazine's list of the "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time" and fourth in Gibson's "Top 50 Guitarists of All Time". He was also named number five in Time magazine's list of "The 10 Best Electric Guitar Players" in 2009.
- Chuck Berry...
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Charles Edward Anderson Berry (October 18, 1926 – March 18, 2017) was an American singer, songwriter, musician, and one of the pioneers of rock and roll music. With songs such as "Maybellene" (1955), "Roll Over Beethoven" (1956), "Rock and Roll Music" (1957), and "Johnny B. Goode" (1958), Berry refined and developed rhythm and blues into the major elements that made rock and roll distinctive. Writing lyrics that focused on teen life and consumerism, and developing a music style that included guitar solos and showmanship, Berry was a major influence on subsequent rock music.
Video Of The Day
"I think the blues will always be around. People need it" - Johnny Winter
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