Re: [Harp-L] Should the blues scale be revised?

[Larry Marks <larry.marks@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

There is no such thing in music as the "blues scale". To get the 
terminology right, you have to start with the chords that are used in blues.

The chord mostly used for blues is the dominant 7th chord (1, 3, 5, b7 
or if minor, 1, b3, 5, b7). The same chord is played as the 1, 4 and 5 
chords. Each chord has a unique scale associated with it. The scale 
associated with the dominant 7th chord is 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, b7 (or if it 
is a minor blues, then substitute b3 for 3.)

It turns out that the mixolydian mode of the major scale (starting on 
the 5th note of the scale) produces the dominant 7th chord scale. The 
mixolydian mode on the harp is accessed by playing in second position, 
which begins on the 5th note of the tonic scale of the harp. (C is the 
tonic note of a C harmonica. The mixolydian mode of the C harp is G, 
which is why one frequently plays a G blues on a C harp.

Generally speaking, notes on the chord scale will be pleasing to the 
ear, while non-scale notes will not. Non-scale notes 1/2 step away from 
a scale note, and particularly a chord note, can be played briefly in 
passing to a scale note, but to sustain such a note would be quite 
dissonant against the band.

One of the most common mistakes blues players make is to play and 
sustain the major third of the tonic scale when the 4th chord is being 
played. This will produce a major 7th against the dominant 7th chord 
containing a flat 7th, and it sounds quite dissonant.

It is worthwhile for all blues players to learn a few chord scales to 
account for the blues and blues variants. Most musicians practice scales 
a lot, because knowing these scales cold provides you with the ability 
to do what you want when you are improvising a solo or accompaniment. A 
jazz player needs to know lots of scales to go with the complex chords 
they play. Knowing a few scales in addition to the dominant 7th chord 
scale can be useful to the blues player, as well. A blues player would 
find the chord scales for diminished chords, major 7th chords, augmented 
chords and a strange animal called the composite minor scale useful. 
(The composite minor scale uses different notes depending on whether you 
are going up in pitch or down.)

If you know at least these chords, you will find that you can have 
marvelous musical conversations with your guitar player and the other 
melodic instruments in the band. It will open up a whole new world of music.

 -LM