Usually one of the first two scales that any guitarist learns, along with the minor blues scale, when beginning their exploration of lead playing, the Major Blues Scale is both one of the easiest scales to learn, and one of the trickiest to make sound unique and original when applied to a soloing situation.

In this lesson, we’ll take a look at the theory behind the Major Blues Scale, how it is built, how to apply it to your soloing and a few common fingerings that you can explore in the practice room.







The Major Blues Scale is built from the following interval pattern.

Root - 2 - b3 - 3 - 5 -6

You can see these notes laid out in tab and notation for a C Major Blues Scale below.


To apply this scale in a soloing situation, you can use the Major Blues Scale over any major based chords, that is major triads, maj7 or 7th chords and their derivatives, as long as you change the root of the scale to fit the root of the chord.

This means that if you are playing over a G blues, you play G major pent over G7, C major pent over C7 and D major pent over D7, so you change the scale to fit each chord in the progression.








To help get you started, here are two common fingerings for the C Major Blues Scale, one with a 6-string root, and one with a 5-string root.



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Try memorizing these scales in the key of C first, then take them to the other 11 keys around the neck as you expand on these scale shapes in your guitar practice routine.








To finish up, here are a number of ways that you can practice these scales in order to get the fingerings, and theory, behind these scales under your fingers and into your guitar playing.


1. Sing the root note, C for example, and play the corresponding Major Blues Scales over that root.
2. Play a root note on the guitar, C for example, and then sing the corresponding Major Blues Scale over that root note.
3. Say the note names, or interval numbers, such as C D Eb E G A or 1 2 b3 3 5 6, as you play and sing the notes in the above exercises.
4. Put on a static vamp, A7, A, A6 or Amaj7 for example, and practice soloing over those chords using the related Major Blues Scale as the basis for your solo.
6. Repeat any/all of the above exercises in all 12 keys.



Do you have a question or comment about Major Blues Scales? If so, share them in the comments section below this thread.

Is this the same as the C Blues Major scale that I have on the GMC scale generator? If so it seems to be different? Please explain where I'm going wrong!!!

http://www.guitarmasterclass.net/images/sc...110100R0010.jpg

Hey, the scale in the jpeg you sent is a minor blues scale, so like the one in this link, that's all.


http://www.guitarmasterclass.net/guitar_fo...showtopic=50111

It says on the scale generator that its major blues though. How can I find a major blues scale on the GMC generator?

Hey

Just looks like a glitch, I've sent Kris a note so should be fixed shortly. Cheers!

OK thanks. I am just trying to generate a Major blues scale to compare to yours above.If thats the Minor blues scale with a 'glitch' name,
I wonder where the Blues Major scale actually is?

Hey, I couldn't find it on the generator, so Kris should sort it out for you shortly. When I hear back from him I'll let you know.

Many thanks. I like the new Blues thread BTW...That's where I started earlier!

cool, glad you like the new guide! Going to do one on Country Guitar next, then move on to other genres with the same approach. Hope it's helpful.

Thanks for spotting and reporting the glitch, this should now be fixed!

Compare:



with:

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NB You need to clear your cache!

You da man Kris! Thanks.

Thanks Matt and Kris for sorting that out...