Blues Scale

Lets move on to the Blues Scale.  Before you tell me that you aren't interested in the genre of blues, let me tell you that this scale is the most important scale you will ever learn when it comes to playing fills and solos in ANY genre.  ​

The blues scale is the same as the pentatonic scale, only now we have added a couple of frets.  Lets again start on the 5th fret.  Play the pentatonic minor scale as you did before, except now add the 6th fret on the A string, and the 8th fret on the G string.

Below are two alternate diagrams depicting this.

Exercise:  For the blues scale, the two frets we've added,  2nd fret of the A string and 4th fret of the G string, represent the blues note in this scale.  When you are playing through this, instead of playing the blues note like normal, try bending the note before it.  A bend is a technique that sounds exactly like the name suggests: you place your finger on the fret like normal, but as you pick the string and play the note, you pull the string up on the fret you are playing, which causes it to produce a new note that is slightly higher in pitch.  For example in this scale try bending the 7th fret on the G string, so it will produce the note on the 8th fret.  Below is a photo depicting this.

Bends and other techniques are used within the context of scales to play solos and leads (individual notes played in quick succession).  This blues note is incredibly important when it comes to giving the guitar feeling.  Whether you want to play heavy metal or soft folk music, try bending into the blues note as you play leads over the song.  It never fails to sound awesome :)  In our book The Beginner's Guide To Guitar Solo these techniques are studied in much more detail.

Practice this scale until you are comfortable, and when you're ready lets move on to the Major/Natural Minor Scale linked below.

Major/Natural Minor Scale