[Harp-L] blues scale

[Michael Rubin <rubinmichael@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Just because a note is in the chord the rhythm player is playing does not mean in needs to be in the scale, but it does mean that note will harmonize.  There are notes that are not in the rhythm chords that may also sound good.  Even in a very major song with a major one, four and five chord, I often will find a way to include a 2b, 3b, 5b, 6b, and 7b.  
   
  To me, one thing about scales is there is a symmetrical  nature.  The 1 has a similiar function to the 5, the 2 is similiar to the 6, the 3 and the 7 and finally the 4 and the 1.
   
  In the blues scale, 1 3b 4 5b 5 7b 1, you start on the 1, move higher a minor third (3 notes) to the 3b and then move higher a whole step (2 notes) to the 4th.
   
  Then you move a half step to the 5b, and a half step to the 5.  I call the 5b the connection note  between the two symmetrical sides.
   
  The 5, 7b, 1 then move in the exact same way as the first 3 notes, keeping their functions very similiar to to 1, 3b and 4.  The 5 moves up a minor third to the 7b, which moves up a whole step to the 1.
   
  To add the major third would mess up the symmetry, unless you also added the major seventh.  WHich based on the argument that the major third is in the one chord so it should be included, could be argued that the major seventh is in the five chord.  Personally I like the sscale as is.  When I give it to students, they immediately can play "Bluesy".  In time, I help them see the blues is a mixture of the blues and the major scales.  All the notes in the major scale work in blues, they add a jazz flavor.
  Michael Rubin
  Michael Rubinharmonica.com