Blues Scale PDFs

[kevgermany]

The pdf below contains all 12 minor and major blues scales over two octaves. Use for reference, or for practice.

Use in conjunction with the Rock and Blues for beginners article.

Scales are in concert pitch, against each scale is the concert pitch the Alto and tenor sax will be in when playing the written notes - e.g. if you play the blues scale written in C, on alto it will sound in concert Eb, and on tenor it will sound in concert Bb. So if the guitars are in Bb (unlikely.... ) you'll be playing in C on the tenor and G on the alto.

 

[Campbell]

kevgermany submitted a new resource:

I'm puzzled. I'm trying to do a blues in concert pitch D. Your chart says I should be playing in C (T Sax C),
But from the Saxophone transposition table in 'beginners-dvd-transpositions.pdf' concert pitch D should be transposed to E. I have tried various possibilities.

I am using a keyboard, and to simulate the pitch of the sax I have transposed the keyboard down a tone and am playing it in the key of E alongside a backing track in concert D. This to my imperfect ear is the best of all the other combinations and keys I have tried.

Is it right to play a blues which in concert pitch is D on a tenor in E? I need to get this sorted as I'm thinking of posting on the blues of the month forum and don't want to make a total a.... of myself.

The introductory post in Blues of the Month explains it ... tenor is in E.

So when I am simulating the pitch of a tenor on a keyboard should I flatten or sharpen the keyboard by a tone? Flatten sounds better to me. What say the experts?

 

[kevgermany]

Transposition.... Never clear.

What I said was that playing the written notes in D, a tenor will be playing in C. In other words it plays in the key a whole tone (full step) lower than written. So yes, to get concert D on tenor you need to play in E.

Remember also that the tenor plays an octave and a tone lower than written/concert. So although it's convenient to think it's a tone lower, it's not really.

 

[Campbell]

Transposition.... Never clear.

What I said was that playing the written notes in D, a tenor will be playing in C. In other words it plays in the key a whole tone (full step) lower than written. So yes, to get concert D on tenor you need to play in E.

Remember also that the tenor plays an octave and a tone lower than written/concert. So although it's convenient to think it's a tone lower, it's not really.

Thanks for clearing that up.

For a while I was transposing the keyboard up a tone and playing in E alongside a backing track in D .... so in effect I was playing in F# to a track in D.

Just so that I am sure that I have it correct could you please confirm that if I am working things out on a keyboard with a backing track I should lower the pitch of the keyboard by a tone and play the keyboard in a key a tone higher than that of the backing track in order to simulate the sax.

ie: backing track in D
lower keyboard by a tone so that D on the backing track = E on keyboard
play in E on keyboard

 

[kevgermany]

If the backing track is in concert D, then either play keyboard from notes in D. Or set it to play a tone lower and play from the tenor part in E. Don't double transpose.

You need to check... Usually the tenor part has the melody and chords both transposed for tenor. Sometimes the tenor parts have chords at concert pitch so pianists, guitarists etc. can play from the same set of notes.

 

[Campbell]

If the backing track is in concert D, then either play keyboard from notes in D. Or set it to play a tone lower and play from the tenor part in E. Don't double transpose.

You need to check... Usually the tenor part has the melody and chords both transposed for tenor. Sometimes the tenor parts have chords at concert pitch so pianists, guitarists etc. can play from the same set of notes.

Cheers.

I'm trying to work out a tune on the keyboard which I will then play on the tenor, so it is better to do it in E on the keyboard, having lowered the keyboard by a tone. (backing track in D). I find it is better to do it on the keyboard because if I try to do it on the sax I get carried away and go all over the place.

Thanks for the advice about ... 'Usually the tenor part has the melody and chords both transposed for tenor.'

 

[kevgermany]

I'm trying to work out a tune on the keyboard which I will then play on the tenor, so it is better to do it in E on the keyboard, having lowered the keyboard by a tone. (backing track in D). I find it is better to do it on the keyboard because if I try to do it on the sax I get carried away and go all over the place.

The advantage of doing this is that you're thinking in a single key for backing and melody. But don't lose sight of the transposition.