The Blues Scale - How It Opened Up A Whole New World To Me

by Lee Griffith
In my earlier years of playing guitar, I could never even begin to comprehend how guitar players could jam with other musicians and improvise, when it came their turn to take a break. I would listen and watch in amazement as a guitar player would (effortlessly, it seemed) play lick after lick of great sounding lead guitar. Then I read about "the blues scale."

In my earlier years of playing guitar, I could never even begin to comprehend how guitar players could jam with other musicians and improvise, when it came their turn to take a break. I would listen and watch in amazement as a guitar player would (effortlessly, it seemed) play lick after lick of great sounding lead guitar. Then I read about “the blues scale.” This simple scale, the blues scale, which I learned in a day, and mastered in a week, opened up an entirely new world to me. By knowing this collection of notes which would go with a given chord, I was able to do amazing feats of improvisation in a few days!

This collection of notes can be played in any key and position on the guitar, but to begin, let’s try it in the key of A, in the fifth position (with your left hand moved up to where you are covering the 5th through the 8th frets).

Here is the Blues Scale in A…

On the 6th string (the low E string), play a note using the first finger on the behind the 5th fret, and then a note using the fourth finger (“pinky”) behind the 8th fret.

Then, on the 5th string (the A string), play a note using the first finger behind the 5th fret, then a note using the second finger behind the 6th fret, then a note using the third finger behind the 7th fret.

Then, on the 4th string (the D string), play a note using the first finger behind the 5th fret, then a note using the third finger behind the 7th fret.

Then, on the 3rd string (the G string), play a note using the first finger behind the 5th fret, then a note using the third finger behind the 7th fret, then a note using the fourth finger (pinky) behind the 8th fret.

Then, on the 2nd string (the B string), play a note using the first finger play a note using the first finger behind the 5th fret, then a note using the fourth finger behind the 8th fret.

Then, on the 1st string (the high E string), repeat the sequence you played on the 2nd string—that is play a note using the first finger play a note using the first finger behind the 5th fret, then a note using the fourth finger behind the 8th fret.

Play this using alternating picking strokes (downstrokes and upstrokes), and go up the scale (from the 6th string to the 1st string) and then down the scale (from the 1st string to the 6th string). Then, fool around with it—play different sequences, but use only the notes on this scale. It may open up a whole new world to you too!