Construction of Pentatonic and blues scale

The pentatonic scale and the blues scale are often used for the blues, but are also frequently used in the commercial and the rock. Familiarize yourself with the sound, which can help you recall the arrangement of notes so that you can distinguish them when you hear them executed or carried by other guitarists.

Blues scale minor and Pentatonic minor

The minor blues scale, is made up of seven notes (see graphics ). The first note is the tonality of the scale.
It's followed from 1 tone 1/2, 1 tone, 1/2 tone, 1/2 tone, 1 tone 1/2, 1 tone.

The pentatonic scale minor, look like the blues scale. The difference is that for the pentatonic scale minor, you have to remove the fourth note (that's in red, is the 1/2 tone). Thus, the pentatonic scale minor is made up like that: the first note is the tonality which is followed from
1 tone 1/2, 1 tone, 1 tone (1/2 tone +1/2 tone), 1 tone 1/2, 1 tone.

Blues scale major et pentatonic major

The blues scale major is made up of seven notes (see the lower graph). The first note is the tonality of the Scale.
It is followed of 1 tone, 1/2 tone, 1/2 tone, 1 tone 1/2,1 tone, 1 tone 1/2.

The pentatonic scale major is formed about in the same way except that it is necessary to remove the third note of the range blues scale (that which is in red, is the 1/2 tone). Like the other scales of which I spoke, the first note gives its tonality and is followed of
1 tone, 1 tone(1/2 tone +1/2 tone), 1 tone 1/2, 1 tone, 1 tone 1/2.

It should be noted that:

Scale's positions

The scale positions
It is thus to important to remove the notes D # (that in red) in positions Ci-low, for the scales pentatonic major et pentatonic minor.

For the scales of blues major and minor, they are the same positions, but it is necessary to include the note D # in red.

In order to know the other positions for the other tonality, you only have to make the transpositions. Now here are ten positions for the scales in tonality of the A minor and C major.

Hear one position of the pentatonic scale ( Midi file )

Hear one position of Blues scale ( Midi file )

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Examples of pratice the scales

Here a way of carrying out the scales:

Initially, you carry out the second note you return to the first, the second, you
make the third, then you reconsider the second, the third and you make then
the fourth... You make all the note in this way. You always reconsider the
preceding note. You can listen below the examples in midi files and also
see the Fingering charts

Improvisation

Here two musical funds which will be able to help you to practice your improvisation. These two midi files were created with the JAMMER program. It is a program very interesting for the improvisation. The first file is a major one and the second one is minor.

Then, I say to you: " Good practice and see you later! ".
Donald Loignon

Improvisation 1 ( Blues rock )

Improvisation 2 (Blues Ballade )