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The Blues Scale
Can you play and construct a blues scale?
The Five-Note C Blues Scale
Kanga of the Kangaroo Music Construction Company says that being able to measure half-steps is a really important skill. Knowing the scale formula will allow you to construct a blues scale starting from any note. The circled numbers below are the distances between each note of a five-note blues scale as measured in half-steps.
Did you notice that's Kanga's tail is a tape ruler?
Measuring half-steps is like measuring centimeters or inches, except that they are counted between keys on a piano keyboard (or any instrument) as shown below. Going from one key (or note) to the closest one to the left or right is called a half-step.
Hear what the five-note C blues scale sounds like
Watch a video of the five-note blues scale played ascending and descending
The Seven-Note C Blues Scale
Can you play and construct a seven-note blues scale?
Hint: Use the scale formula given above (3 2 1 1 3 2).
Hear what the seven-note C blues scale sounds like
Watch a video of the seven-note blues scale played ascending and descending
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