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In vocal styles, the pitch of the flat fifth scale degree is bent up and down for added inflection, expressive power, and emotional impact. The formula for this new minor blues scale is 1 – ♭3 – 4 – ♭5 – ♮5 – ♭7. Check out the diagram below to see this new scale notated. In the key of C minor pentatonic, that means you will add the note G♭. To transform the minor pentatonic scale into the minor blues scale, all you need to do is add in the flat fifth scale degree to the minor pentatonic scale. The finger numbers for the minor pentatonic scale are notated beneath the notes. To play the minor pentatonic scale from C on the piano, follow the diagram below. The minor pentatonic scale follows the scale degree formula 1 – ♭3 – 4 – 5 – ♭7. Seriously, try it! It is somehow ingrained in the human subconscious, especially the first minor third interval. If you randomly ask someone on the street to sing a five note scale, chances are they will sing the minor pentatonic scale. It is a common piano scale that is found in many music cultures across the world. The minor pentatonic scale is a five note scale. This scale is a variation on the minor pentatonic scale with an added flat fifth scale degree. It is used across many styles of music including traditional twelve-bar Blues, Boogie-Woogie, Soul, RnB, Jazz, and Funk to name a few. It has a powerful, soulful, and often melancholic timbre. The minor blues scale piano is a six note scale that has emerged from Blues music. The important thing to remember is that both of these major and minor variations are based off of pentatonic scales, with a flat 5th added, making each scale have six notes total. They are found all over the world, in music on the radio and classical music. Odds are when someone says to you “play a blues scale”, what they mean is play the minor version, so it will come first here.īlues scales are very common in music. No credit card details required Start your piano journey now! What is the blues scale?įirstly, there is not just one ‘blues scale’, there are two: a major and a minor variation.
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