Beginner Blues scale and an update!

[nickh]

Well i'm a couple of months in now. Learning too read music as well as play tenor sax. Working my way through the O'neill book which i'm loving. I'm interested in playing jazz and my teacher has got me learning some blues scales. I know 3 of them so far and i can play them with some sort of expression. My teacher seems pleased. I'm also trying too learn some theory as i'm going along and have worked out how too convert major scales into blues scales. This has also led me into trying too work out how scales are constructed etc..

My question is a general one really - where does the blues scale fit into playing jazz? Is it just something you have too learn as a foundation and then move on? Or is it something you still all draw on when you improvise? What should my aim be regarding blues scales and where too progress too from here!?

Quite hazy and general i know but i don't feel i have the big picture of where i'm going yet!

 

[ProfJames]

Do you have predictive texting on when you are writing a post? "To" is being constantly spelt as "too".

 

[nickh]

Its a wonder anythings legible when i type on my phone ;-)

 

[Chris]

Nick, Blues is the basis of Jazz, Learning how to use the scale over a basic 12 bar blues is one stepping stone.
From there you could go on to a jazz blues which uses more complex chord changes and just one scale won't really work. In a jazz context the 'Blues' scale is just another scale that the improviser can use in his/her solo. 'Rhythm Changes' is one example of where you could use Blues scales, check out 'Randy Hunter' on This video

A lot of Charlie Parker tunes are also based around the 'Blues'. Blues For Alice being one example..

 

[fibracell]

It's also a never ending process - your teacher should be able to make most of your questions clear. The only thing I would add is to listen to well known players playing a basic blues and get a feel for how it all works. And there's no rush to learn all this, take your time and learn the basics one step at a time.

There's a ton if info on the internet. Besides Randy Hunter, Steve Neff has a ton of video lessons.

 

[jbtsax]

In my experience it is important to learn the blues scale and then move forward to improvising to more complex blues changes. If you learn to use the blues scale and just stop there, you will always sound like a beginner at improvisation. That's not to say it can't or shouldn't be used, just that it should be used "sparingly" to add a bit of spice to your solo---not continuously to create the entire flavor of what you play.

 

[nickh]

ok thanks for the info.. will investigate all that was mentioned!

 

[jimmylh]

Nick, Blues is the basis of Jazz, Learning how to use the scale over a basic 12 bar blues is one stepping stone.
From there you could go on to a jazz blues which uses more complex chord changes and just one scale won't really work. In a jazz context the 'Blues' scale is just another scale that the improviser can use in his/her solo. 'Rhythm Changes' is one example of where you could use Blues scales, check out 'Randy Hunter' on This video

A lot of Charlie Parker tunes are also based around the 'Blues'. Blues For Alice being one example..

Great video. This is the type of stuff my teacher is trying to teach me. I feel sorry for him though, my skull is incredibly thick. No easy job.

 

[Colin the Bear]

Don't try to rush it and cramm. Let it come to you. You have to learn the rules so you know how and when to break them.


It's a ride with no destination. Enjoy the scenery.

 

[smsuryan]

You can play your typical minor blues pentatonic, substitute the 6th instead of the dominant 7, and/or flat the root a half step, or mix the two up. Its a great jazz scale, even if it is somewhat of a hack. If nothing else it will entertain you while you are building up your arsenal and knowledge of your jazz vocabulary.