Playing Blues, What Scales Work

[EarlG]

I think when you play a blues break you are supposed to use a minor pentatonic with the root of the key you are playing. In other words, in G play a G root minor pentatonic not a major.

I found out tonight my harmonica friends use a harp in the 4th of the key you are playing blues in. In other words they use a C harp if we play G blues.

I'm talking straight 12 bar blues.

Could you use a major C pentatonic scale to play G blues on mandolin?

What's the theory here? I think I might be missing something.

[fishtownmike]

No that won't work for mando. On a harmonica in blues you start in the second position of the harmonica. They call this cross harp. Even though the harps key is c you key on the g note and use bending techniques to bend notes to work in the G key. I only tinkered with harmonica in the past and i don't have really a lot of info to give you. So do a Google search on cross harp and I'm sure you'll find more info then i can offer....Mike

[Fretbear]

For playing major key blues on mandolin, you can get a lot of mileage using the relative minor pentatonic scales; Blues in E = G pentatonic played from E to E, Blues in G = Bb pentatonic played from G to G.
Adding the flat 3rd of the root scale (Bb in G) will also function as the bluesy flat 5 of the minor scale (Bb in E). For blues in G it is the Db that is the flat 5, or flat 3rd of Bb.

[mandocrucian]

Could you use a major C pentatonic scale to play G blues on mandolin?

Minor pentatonic or the blues scale (minor pentatonic plus the b5) will work anywhere in the progression. (Note: if you have practice patterns which include the b5, these can also be recycled back and used as a "major pentatonic plus b3": G blues scale = Bb major pentatonic plus the #2/b3.

No, but you can use the C major pentatonic over the C chords in the progression, just as you can also use the D major pentatonic over the D chords. And you can also use G major pentatonic over the G chords. (UNLESS the blues backing chords are actually minor chords (Gm, Cm, Dm), ruling out playing major pentatonics.

You might also use a D blues scale over the D chords. Playing the blues scale based on the IV chord ( C blues scale over the C7 chords), is trickier as it can be somewhat jarring if you don't ease into smoothly. It works best when the chords are held for longer than 2 measures. There are some tunes where Stevie Ray Vaughan will go to the IV chord blues scale - (it's more like a temporary change of key area).

While the minor pentatonic gives you a basic set of pitches to use, blues guitarists will also access other in-between scale notes and or quarter tones)by bending off of these (or bending into the pentatonic notes).

There are other "pentatonic scales" such as dominant pentatonic: 1 2 3 5 b7; dorian pentatonic: 1 2 b3 5 b7 which use a slightly different selection of notes.

Niles H

[journeybear]

I find using a "scale" that incorporates elements of the key's major and minor scales works best. Typing this is harder than showing you, but here goes, for G (hope the coffee kicks in soon):

--------
--------
-xx-x--
--xx---

or, playing to a 12/8 shuffle rhythm, using a 12 half-tone notation:

1 34 7 9 | 12 10-9 7 34
1 34 7 9 | 12 10-9 7 32 |1

where 7 is the open D string, 9 is D string 2nd fret, etc. The 34 at the end of the first line is a sort of continuing lick; the 32 at the end of the second line is more of an ending lick.

This is really a boogie, if you want to make that distinction from a blues, but they're pretty darn close, and will take you far down the blues highway. :mandosmiley:

[EarlG]

Thanks, I'm listening. I'll have to get out the mandolin and study these answers with it in my hand.

[Skip Kelley]

Earl, Buy a copy of Nile's book, "Bluegrass up the neck" It has a lot of the stuff you are looking for!