Bb and G minor are related, so the corresponding blues scales are related.
G minor blues scale:
G Bb C C#(Db) D F G
Bb Major blues scale:
Bb C C#(Db) D F G Bb
Although these are called scales, I usually teach them as major and minor
triads with some commonly used extra tones for elaboration. The first tones
added create a pentatonic scale, as someone pointed out on another post.
Adding the chromatic passing tone creates the what gets called the blues
scale. Listen to examples and you may see what I mean about it being a from
of triadic generalization.
For G minor the C-C# points to D or Db-C points to Bb; the F is a note used
between 5th and tonic.
1 b3 5 1
G Bb [C C#] D [F] G
For Bb major the C-C# points to D or Db-C points to Bb; the G is a note
used between 5th and tonic.
Bb [C C#] D F [G] Bb
I listen to high school students play at jazz festivals using Minor blues
scales over blues in Bb or F major. Working with them you can sense their
frustration knowing that something is not always quite right. They are
missing the major third. Arming them with major and minor ideas double
their vocabulary. Historically, musicians have used both major and minor
blues scales. The blues scales work over the blues because the triads work
over the blues. Using major and minor triads will obviously give you two
attitudes to portray.
While the major and minor sounds work over Major tunes, the minor only
works in minor.
_______________________________________
Bert Ligon
Director of Jazz Studies
_______________________________________
School of Music
University of South Carolina
Columbia, SC 29208
Voice: (803) 777-6565
Fax: (803) 777-2151
http://www.music.sc.edu/Departments/Jazz/
bligon@mozart.sc.edu
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