The blues scale is a hexatonic scale consisting of the minor pentatonic scale plus the ♯4 or ♭5 degree[1][2][3], however, since blues notes (or blue notes) are alternate inflections, strictly speaking there can be no one blues scale[4]. At its most basic, a single "blues scale" is commonly used over all changes in a twelve bar blues progression[5]. Likewise, in contemporary jazz theory, its use is commonly based upon the key and not the individual chord[2].
The "blues scale" may also be a diatonic scale with lowered third, fifth, and seventh degrees[6] and blues practice is derived from the "conjunction of 'African scales' and the diatonic western scales"[7]. Steven Smith argues that ""to assign blues notes to a 'blues scale' is a momentous mistake, then, after all, unless we alter the meaning of 'scale'" [8].
Despite this Benward & Saker[9] define the blues scale as a chromatic variation of the major scale featuring a flat third and seventh degrees which, "alternating with the normal third and seventh scale degrees are used to create the blues inflection. These 'blue notes' represent the influence of African scales on this music."[10]
Sources
- ^ Ferguson, Jim (2000). All Blues Scale for Jazz Guitar, p.6. ISBN 0786652136.
- ^ a b Arnold, Bruce (2002). The Essentials: Chord Charts, Scales and Lead Patterns for Guitar, p.8. ISBN 1890944947.
- ^ Harrison, Mark (2003). Blues Piano: Hal Leonard Keyboard Style Series, p.8. ISBN 0634061690.
- ^ J. Bradford Robinson/Barry Kernfeld. "Blue Note", The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz, Second Edition, London (2002)
- ^ Blues Licks From Blues Scales. Between the Licks (2008-02-25). Retrieved on 2008-06-24.
- ^ Smallwood, Richard (1980). "Gospel and Blues Improvisation" p.102, Music Educators Journal, Vol. 66, No. 5. (Jan., 1980), p.100-104.
- ^ Oliver, Paul. "That Certain Feeling: Blues and Jazz... in 1890?" p.13, Popular Music, Vol. 10, No. 1, The 1890s. (Jan., 1991), pp. 11-19. Cites Rudi Blesh.
- ^ Smith, Steven G. (1992). "Blues and Our Mind-Body Problem", Popular Music, Vol. 11, No. 1. (Jan., 1992), pp. 41-52.
- ^ Benward & Saker (2003). Music: In Theory and Practice, Vol. I, p.39. Seventh Edition. ISBN 978-0-07-294262-0.
- ^ Gunther Schuller. Early Jazz: Its Roots and Musical Development (New York: Oxford University Press, 1968), pp.46-52). Cited in Benward & Saker (2003), p.39.
|
