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What are blues scales? Learn all about how to play blues scales below.
The blues scales are a group of scales that have related characteristics and are most commonly associated with blues and jazz music. Blues scales are very similar to natural minor scales, but they include “blue notes.” These are notes which almost sound out of place, but they add extra flavor to the overall scale. The blues scales are fun scales that can be used to spice up your improvisation skills. One famous piece of music that includes blues scales is George Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue,” which you can listen to here.
Read more to learn how to play different blues scales!
What is the most famous blues scale for piano?
The most famous blues scale is the hexatonic minor blues scale. Hexatonic means that it includes six tones. This scale has a characteristically flat 5th-scale degree or “blue note,” meaning that the fifth of the scale is lowered a half step. Check out what it sounds like in Joseph Hoffman’s composition “Super Secret Agent.” Keep reading to learn more about this cool scale!
How many blues scales are there?
There are many different blues scales, but the four most common are included below. These are the hexatonic minor blues scale, the hexatonic major blues scale, the heptatonic blues scale, and the nonatonic blues scale. Below are examples in C, but like other scales, they can be transposed to other keys.
Hexatonic
Minor = 1-♭3- 4-♭5- 5-♭7
Example in C: C – E♭- F – G♭- G – B♭
Major = 1-2-♭3- 3-5-6
Example in C: C – D – E♭- E – G – A
Heptatonic
1-2-♭3-4-♭5-6-♭7
Example in C: C – D – E♭- F – G♭- A – B♭
Nonatonic
1-2-♭3-3-4-5-6-♭7-7
Example in C: C – D – E♭- E – F – G – A – B♭- B
To learn the fingerings for these blues scales, check out The One Book of All Piano Scales.
Now that you’re familiar with blues scales in the key of C, check out what they look like in D by watching this video:
What is the easiest blues scale to play?
The easiest blues scale to play is the blues pentascale, specifically the blues pentascale in A. The notes to this scale are A-C-D-D#-E. When playing this scale, only one finger plays a black key and once your hand is correctly placed, the fingers don’t need to move, which makes it easy to play. The notes of this scale are played similarly to a pentascale with the thumb playing A, pointer on C, middle finger on D, ring finger on D♯, and pinky on E.
What is the blues formula?
When jazz musicians perform, they’ll often play a set chord progression and improvise over it with a melody using the notes of a blues scale. Here is an example of the most basic and popular version of the 12-bar blues form with chords in C major:
- First, play four measures of the I7 (C7) chord
- This is followed by two measures of IV7 (F7)
- Two measures of I7 (C7)
- One measure of V7 (G7)
- One measure of IV7 (F7)
- And finally, two more measures of I7 (C7) before repeating the pattern from the beginning. The pattern may repeat as many times as you’d like.
You can learn more about this 12-bar blues formula by reading What’s a 12-Bar Blues?
Or, you can check out this video on how to play a 12-bar blues!
See our blog page, How to Play Blues for Beginners for lots of tips on how to play the 12-bar blues and to improvise using the blues scale.
Music that uses a blues scale
Music for elementary and intermediate piano students
Ready to play your first blues song on the piano? Try one of these fun and easy arrangements by Christopher Norton.
“Blues No. 1” from MicroJazz Collection 2 – Christopher Norton
“Two-Handed Blues” from MicroJazz Collection 2 – Christopher Norton
“Jazz Waltz” from MicroJazz Collection 2 – Christopher Norton
“A Sad Song” from MicroJazz Collection 3 – Christopher Norton
“Jazz Hymn” from American Popular Piano Repertoire Level 5 – Christopher Norton
If you’re an intermediate level pianist looking for a fun piece of music to practice your blues scale with, check out Joseph Hoffman’s composition “Super Secret Agent” in this video. You can purchase and download the sheet music from our store here. If you have a Hoffman Premium membership, the sheet music is included!
Here is a list of other music that uses a blues scale that you can listen to:
Blues/Jazz
Saint Louis Blues – W.C. Handy (the Father of the Blues)
The Memphis Blues – W.C. Handy
Watermelon Man – Herbie Hancock
Sweet Sixteen Bars – Ray Charles
Classical
Three Preludes for Piano – George Gershwin
“Rhapsody in Blue”, for Piano and Jazz Orchestra – George Gershwin
Concerto in F Major for Piano and Orchestra, II. Adagio-Andante con moto – George Gershwin
Symphony No. 2 “The Age of Anxiety” for Piano and Orchestra, Part 2, IV: The Masque – Leonard Bernstein
Rock
“Hound Dog” – Elvis Presley
“Jumpin’ Jack Flash” – Aretha Franklin (originally performed by The Rolling Stones)
“Higher Ground” – Stevie Wonder
“Purple Haze” – Jimi Hendrix
“I Can See for Miles” – The Who
“She’s a Woman” – The Beatles
“Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress” – The Hollies
Summary of tips for playing blues scales on piano:
- Practice slowly & listen to the unique sound of these scales…
- Practice transposing these scales to different keys…
- Listen to recordings of blues music so that you can get a feeling for the correct style…
- Once you get really confident playing the scales, try using them to create your own melodies. Maybe even try them over the 12-bar blues progression that we discussed earlier.
The blues scales are a really fun group of scales that can liven up your piano playing, so what are you waiting for? Now that you know about them, try them out: improvise, try new bluesy pieces of music, and have fun!