Building Blocks: Blues Bass

Pentatonic (5-note) scales are used throughout many different kinds of music, from ancient Japanese music to modern rock and metal. Guitarists and bassists usually learn the A minor pentatonic shape (Fig.1) very early on and it’s one of the key ingredients of Blues playing.

The Blues shows a direct African influence in the inclusion of ‘Blue Notes’ – notes that do not belong to the key or scale you are playing.

The Blues Scale (Fig.2) is simply the minor Pentatonic scale with one ‘Blue Note’ added, the flattened 5^th.

Blues is one of the few styles that has a specific chord-type associated with it.

Most of the chords found in a Blues progression are Dominant 7 chords.

The Dominant 7 chord (Fig.3) is a Major Triad (Root – Major 3^rd - Perfect 5^th) with a flattened 7^th on top.

The Mixolydian mode fits over this type of chord and is very similar to the Major scale, but with a flattened 7^th. When you use this scale in Blues it works because it outlines the sound of a Dominant 7 chord.

Remember: Root, 3^rd, 5^th, b7th= Dominant 7

Blues Style File Part 3. (coming soon)