Country / Major Blues Scale

Let's expand on the Blues.  Over the years of players combining both a key centered approach and a chord scale approach, common structures emerged which we can classify to make your exploration of the blues easier to break down and apply. 

We know these simply as variations, and of course, there are many variations one can make and create names for by altering the 6th, 7th, 4th, etc - but there is one that is extremely prevalent in popular music. This scale is called the country blues scale.  

The country blues scale is the relative major to the minor blues scale.  

This means, that like regular pentatonics, that the scale shapes are the same but the roots are different.  For example, F# minor blues is the same as A major (country) blues. 

The scale degrees are: 1   2   b3   3   5   6

As you can see, the"blue" note in this scale is the b3.  The addition of the b3 in a major scale creates a brighter, more country sounding blues scale, but is still very bluesy. 

This scale works fine over a regular blues form, as well as over major triads.  It is important to view this scale as the major pentatonic with the addition of the b3.  The b3 just gives that bluesy flavor, but the main sound of the scale is still the major pentatonic.

Attached are the five patterns of the country blues scale.  Learn them as you have each of the other scales and play around with them over the jam tracks.  Experiment with moving them around over different major chords.  How does it sound over the I? IV? V? V7?  Have fun and enjoy this very bright and playful sound

Jam Tracks:

1.  A major I IV V

2.  A blues

3.  E major I IV V

4.  E blues