B𝄫 Blues
Minor pentatonic + the flat-5 'blue note'. Six notes. The foundation of blues, blues-rock, and modern guitar vocabulary.
Audio source: tonejs-instruments by Nick Brosowsky (MIT)
What notes are in the B𝄫 Blues scale?
The B𝄫 Blues scale uses the notes B𝄫, D𝄫, E𝄫, F𝄫, F♭, A𝄫 (one octave; the pattern repeats at higher registers).
What's the Blues scale formula?
The Blues scale follows the interval pattern W+H W H H W+H W, where W = whole step (2 semitones) and H = half step (1 semitone). Apply that pattern starting on B𝄫 to get the B𝄫 Blues scale.
What chords work over B𝄫 Blues?
Blues scale works over the I / IV / V of any blues progression. The ♭5 is a passing tone — don't sit on it.
How do I finger B𝄫 Blues on Viola?
On bowed strings, scales train both fingering and bow technique. First-position fingerings cover most scales up to one octave; second-, third-, and fourth-position shifts unlock the higher register. The 1-2-3-4 finger pattern adapts to the half-step + whole-step positions per scale.
When would I use the Blues scale?
Minor pentatonic + the flat-5 'blue note'. Six notes. The foundation of blues, blues-rock, and modern guitar vocabulary.