The Minor Blues Scale
This article is based on a chapter from the book Mastering The Fretboard in Open D Tuning.
The difference between the minor pentatonic scale and the minor blues scale is simply the addition of one note. The minor pentatonic has five notes, the minor blues scale has six: 1-b3-4-b5-5-b7.
You’ll notice on the staff above that I’ve labeled the “b5” as a G# (#4). This is to emphasize that the b5 and #4 are enharmonic: they’re both the note G# in this scale. Enharmonic means that two notes are the same note, just spelled differently. However, this note of the minor blues scale is usually referred to as the “flat five” in common parlance because the other altered notes of a minor blues scale are b3 and b7.
Below is the minor blues scale formula, which indicates the intervals between scale notes [whole step (W), half step (H)]. Here I’ve labeled the b5 as Ab instead of G#.
This “blue note“, as it’s called, is chromatic to the keys of both D major and D minor. But it sounds fantastic when used in the correct context, especially as a passing note from 4 to 5.
The b5 scale degree has been used in countless famous blues licks through the years—Stevie Ray Vaughan used it all the time in his playing. I pretty much use the minor pentatonic and blues scales interchangeably, and you can too.
To integrate the b5 into your scales, practice your minor pentatonic positions and add the b5 to each position.
This lesson is based on a chapter from the book Mastering the Fretboard in Open D and the 3+ hour video course Mastering Open D Tuning. If you’re interested in learning more music theory in Open D, check out those great educational resources.
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