Blue Rock
Monday, November 9th, 2009|
|
Vintage SHELLEY Blue Rock Dainty Demitasse Saucer $9.99 |
|
|
SLIDE GUITAR FOR ROCK AND BLUES – GUITAR DVD $22.45 |
|
|
NEW ROCK & REPUBLIC WOMEN’S HIEDIS JEANS BLUE SZ 29 $49.99 |
|
|
DADDY ROCKS! Infant/Toddler T-Shirt $13.00 |
|
|
DADDY ROCKS! Infant/Toddler T-Shirt $13.00 |
If you’re a saxophonist interested in playing any type of blues based music including rock and roll and even jazz then you need to use the blues scale as your number one tool to make things sound right.
A little history
If you want to investigate back to the beginnings of the blues as it came about in America just start with W.C. Handy, who was a black composer active in the early 1900’s when the blues form began to get popularized in large part because of his instrumental compositions “Memphis Blues” (1912) and “St. Louis Blues” (1914). Of coarse the blues oral tradition can be traced back to the mid 1800’s.
The blues scale
Because our western music has it’s roots in European classical music the music theorists needed to notate the blues scale as it was naturally played and sung into an understandable notation which could be analyzed and played by western trained musicians.
The simplest way to explain it’s theory is this:
Simply take the traditional major scale; C D E F G A B C and flatten the 3rd, 5th, and 7th. Now it looks like this: C D Eb E F Gb G A Bb C.
(Please look at the example on my website for the full musical notation). Notice the E, G, and B have been flattened, they are the 3rd, 5th and 7th notes of the C major scale and flattening them makes the scale sound minor thus giving it the “blues” or sad sound as opposed to the “major” or happy sound.
For us sax players these flat notes are perfect to incorporate a “growl” sound to further emphasize that “bluesy” expression or make it a bit more nasty. Two other things to notice; the 3rd and 5th can be played as a flat or not but the 7th generally is only played as a flat and not the major 7th in this type of scale or musical genre. (for some audio examples please refer to the website version of this article).
So now our basic major scale of 8 notes is now a blues scale of 10 notes. There are other variations to this blues scale; the basic version for example is a 7 note scale: C Eb F F# G Bb C (the F# being the same as the Gb). Adding the D, E natural and A give us more musical possibilities and will not change the basic sound of the blues scale. Even adding a flat 9th ( D flat) was a favorite thing Charlie Parker did a lot and is a good way to jazz up your phrases.
The blues progression
Of coarse this is all just words and notes and theory. You have to apply it and in any blues music this is done over a musical progression thats 12 measures in length, thus the term “12 bar blues”.
We’re in the key of C so the first 4 bars will be the C chord. The 5th and 6th bars change to the 4 chord which is F (4th note in the C scale).
The 7th and 8th bars change back to the 1 chord (C). The 9th and 10th bars change to the 5 chord, which is G. The 11th and 12th bars change back to the 1 chord (C). There are variations in this 12 bar pattern and can be seen on the website version of this article.
When starting out you can get away with just playing the same C blues scale over the entire progression but try to emphasize 1 or 2 of the notes in the F and G chord to make things a little more interesting. For example, over the F chord play an F or an A note to emphasize the harmonic color of the chord a little more.
In conclusion
The blues mean different things to many people ranging from musical styles to a way of life or philosophy. The blues do have musical influences from Europe and Africa but it is truly an American musical form and tradition fully rooted in the black experience of the post-war southern United States.
I want to be clear that when I talk about the blues or the blues scale I’m not only referring to this type of musical tradition and style but include funk, R&B, country, jazz and pop. Like the old saying goes; The blues had a baby and they names it rock & roll and from there came just about every form of pop music in western history since that explosive time in the mid 1900’s
And so, I think it’s safe to say that the blues scale is easily one of the most used and important scales for all types of western popular music.
About the Author:
Experience the full article on saxophone blues scales complete with music notation and audio sample and learn about important artists who made contributions to great American Blues and Rock & Roll.
Johnny Ferreira is an award winning saxophonist, international touring and recording artist. Advocator of saxophone music that rocks, jumps, and swings! For more articles, information, and music visit http://JohnnyFerreira.com
Article Source: ArticlesBase.com – Saxophone Blues Scales – if you Want to Play Blues, Rock, Jazz you Need to Start Here
FEEL SO BLUE—BLUEROCK
|
|
Vintage SHELLEY Blue Rock Dainty Demitasse Saucer $9.99 |
|
|
SLIDE GUITAR FOR ROCK AND BLUES – GUITAR DVD $22.45 |
|
|
NEW ROCK & REPUBLIC WOMEN’S HIEDIS JEANS BLUE SZ 29 $49.99 |
|
|
DADDY ROCKS! Infant/Toddler T-Shirt $13.00 |
|
|
DADDY ROCKS! Infant/Toddler T-Shirt $13.00 |
|
|
DADDY ROCKS! Infant/Toddler T-Shirt $13.00 |
|
|
DADDY ROCKS! Infant/Toddler T-Shirt $13.00 |
|
|
DADDY ROCKS! Infant/Toddler T-Shirt $13.00 |
|
|
DADDY ROCKS! Infant/Toddler T-Shirt $13.00 |
|
|
Electric Guitar Scales Rock Blues Lead Lessons Book Tab $0.99 |
|
|
PF Chang’s Rock & Roll Race Crew 09 Blue T-shirt Large $0.99 |
|
|
PF Chang’s Rock & Roll Marathon 2010 Blue T-shirt Small $0.99 |
|
|
My Uncle Rocks! (guitar) Infant Bodysuit $12.50 |
|
|
My Uncle Rocks! (guitar) Infant Bodysuit $12.50 |
|
|
My Uncle Rocks! (guitar) Infant Bodysuit $12.50 |
|
|
My Uncle Rocks! (guitar) Infant Bodysuit $12.50 |
|
|
Big Sisters Rock Infant Bodysuit $12.50 |
|
|
Big Sisters Rock Infant Bodysuit $12.50 |
|
|
Big Sisters Rock Infant Bodysuit $12.50 |
|
|
Big Sisters Rock Infant Bodysuit $12.50 |
|
|
Aquarium Blue 12v LED Lighting Moon Effect Rock Decor $7.00 |
|
|
BESSIE SMITH Empress of the Blues Rock HOF Shirt XL New $21.88 |
|
|
8 CDG ELVIS #2 KARAOKE LOT-ROCK-BLUES-Xmass+ Much More! $15.99 |
|
|
New Indie Rock Sleeveless Blue Men Vest Suit Party Sz S $13.66 |
|
|
Rock Blues Country Lead Guitar Scales Lessons Book Tab $0.99 |
|
|
New Rock Indie Blue Yakuza Tattoo Koi Fish T-Shirt Sz M $11.83 |
|
|
New Western Checker Plaid Indie Rock Blue Men Shirt S $13.66 |
|
|
New Rock Indie Blue Japanese Yakuza Dragon T-Shirt Sz M $11.83 |
|
|
Custom SOLOMON Being One Rocks T-Shirt $13.00 |
|
|
Custom SOLOMON Being One Rocks T-Shirt $13.00 |
|
|
Custom SOLOMON Being One Rocks T-Shirt $13.00 |
|
|
Custom SOLOMON Being One Rocks T-Shirt $13.00 |
|
|
Custom SOLOMON Being One Rocks T-Shirt $13.00 |
|
|
Custom SOLOMON Being One Rocks T-Shirt $13.00 |
|
|
Hard Rock Cafe Beirut 2009 Pin Blues Guitar LE100 $30.00 |
|
|
2 Girls Camp Rock Shane Shirts Black Blue Medium NEW $3.99 |
|
|
ROCK CITY ANGELS – RARE 1988 PROMO FOR YOUNG MANS BLUES $19.99 |
|
|
B B King T SHIRT Lucille Electric Blues Rock & Roll L $8.99 |
|
|
BLUE COLLAR Rock n Roll High School T-SHIRT/TOP S NEW $7.99 |
|
|
LANCE LOPEZ – Salvation From Sundown 2010 CD blues-rock $6.99 |
|
|
Jimi Hendrix Rock Blues 60’s Black Art T-Shirt Women M $12.99 |
|
|
The Moody Blues DVD A Night At Red Rocks 2002 NR Mint $8.00 |
|
|
Guitar Lessons 3 DVDs Learn Rock / Scales / Blues $27.99 |
|
|
8 CDG ELVIS #2 KARAOKE LOT-ROCK-BLUES-Xmass+ Much More! $9.99 |
|
|
8 CDG ELVIS #2 KARAOKE LOT-ROCK-BLUES-Xmass+ Much More! $9.99 |
|
|
8 CDG ELVIS #2 KARAOKE LOT-ROCK-BLUES-Xmass+ Much More! $15.99 |
|
|
JUNIOR POWDER BLUE NECK STRAP ROCKS SLEEVELESS MESH TOP $6.95 |
|
|
JUNIOR POWDER BLUE NECK STRAP ROCKS SLEEVELESS MESH TOP $6.95 |
|
|
LipService Men’s Pants Blue Green Yellow punk Rock! $5.00 |
|
|
Master Bass Guitar Scales Lesson Book Rock Blues Tab $0.99 |
|
|
Bormioli Rocco Murano Rocks Glasses, Set of 4, Gift Boxed, Cobalt Blue $12.99 Bormioli began manufacturing glassware in 1825. Today, with continuous investments in new technology, in commerical and distributional networks, and with numerous acquisitions, Bormioli began manufacturing glassware in 1825. Today, with continuous investments in new technology, in commerical and distributional networks, and with numerous acquisitions, Bormioli Rocco is an important multinational g… |
|
|
U.S. Patrol JB5076 Fire Resistant Document Bag $14.99 This U.S. Patrol fire-resistant document bag protects your valuable documents from fire. Material: Fire resistant bag… |
|
|
Drinking Water Pump $3.70 Manual Pump For Bottled Water- Fits Most Standard Bottle Sizes- Innovative Vacuum Action For Easy Pumpimg- Easy Working: Just Press Pump Head Economical- No Battery Costs- No MotorWeight: 1.55 Lbs… |
|
|
Memphis Blues $8.48 2010 album from the Pop diva, a traditional Memphis Blues album featuring guest appearances from Jonny Lang, B.B. King and others. After more than 20 sterling years and global record sales in excess of 25 million, Cyndi Lauper has proven that she has the heart and soul to keep her legion of fans compelled by her every creative move. With her first album She’s So Unusual, Cyndi won a Grammy award f… |
|
|
Tribal $9.88 Iconic American musician Dr. John goes TRIBAL with the follow-up to his 2008 Grammy Award Winning release ‘The City That Care Forgot’ for ‘Best Contemporary Blues Album.’TRIBAL, featuring a track with Grammy winner Derek Trucks, is a unique spicy mix of New Orleans funk and blues with a spiritual and Native flavor with songs written by Dr John and a few of his friends – Allen Toussaint and the lat… |
|
|
Roadsongs $11.99 Roadsongs is a document of the Derek Trucks Band at its collective musical peak, recorded live in Chicago during their 2009 Already Free Tour. Featuring extended live versions from their Grammy Award-winning album Already Free along with classic Derek Trucks Band originals, Roadsongs captures the band reaching new heights on-stage and beyond…. |
|
|
Bruce Willis – The Return of Bruno [VHS] $9.99 … |
|
|
Frank Sinatra – Ol’ Blue Eyes Is Back [VHS] $19.98 This 1973 televised concert announced to the world that Frank Sinatra’s retirement was over. In a setting that balances the intimacy of nightclubs with a concert hall layout, Sinatra (backed by a 40 piece orchestra led by Gordon Jenkins and Don Costa) confidently delivers a slate of quintessentially Frank tunes: “I Get a Kick Out of You,” “I’ve Got You Under My Skin,” “I’ve Got the World on a Stri… |
|
|
Out of the Blue [VHS] $12.98 … |
|
|
The Flintstones – The Complete First Season $12.95 No description available for this title.Item Type: DVD MovieItem Rating: GStreet Date: 03/16/04Wide Screen: noDirector Cut: noSpecial Edition: noLanguage: ENGLISHForeign Film: noSubtitles: noDubbed: noFull Frame: yesRe-Release: noPackaging: Sleeve… |