
No need to fall back on those stock, tired blues licks.
Intermediate
Beginner
- Understand the basics of the blues scale.
- Create angular lines by taking an intervallic approach.
- Toss out all those B.B., Freddie, and Albert licks.
We all get burned out playing the same scales, the same way, over and over. A common solution to that guitar-driven angst is to search out other scales, hoping to find a new muse. While learning new scales is an important part of your development as a player, you can often overlook some structures within a scale that you already know.
The blues scale is usually one of the first scales a guitarist learns and is arguably used in almost every genre of guitar playing. Just for review, look at Ex. 1, which lays out the notes of the A blues scale (A–C–D–Eb–E–G). If you've already worked on the blues scale, ask yourself if you can identify each scale tone on every string. That knowledge is important! You'll have a deeper understanding of what you're playing, and it will keep you away from the "this-looks-like-it-sounds-cool" approach.
The most common fingering for the A blues scale is found in 5th position, and the second most common pattern is in 12th position. Ex. 2 shows all positions of the A blues scale. Base your fingerings to these patterns on the minor pentatonic modes but notice that adding the blue note creates some new shifting that you'll have to keep an eye on.
So, now you know the scale and you know how to play it everywhere on the neck. But here's the thing: Think of the scale as a six-note (hexatonic) scale rather than simply a minor pentatonic with an added note. Doing so will enable you to conceive of new and different things to play. One common way to reorganize the notes in a hexatonic scale is to pair the notes in thirds, or every other note. Look at Ex. 3 where these pairs are mapped out in 5th position and shows the intervals they create.
If you did this with a minor pentatonic, you would get four perfect fourths (P4) and one major third (M3) for a total of five intervals. With the blues scale, you get a perfect fourth, minor third (m3), major second (M2), major third, and then two perfect fourths for a grand total of six intervals. The b5 in the middle of the scale is the reason for the variety and squirrelly nature of the results and gives you different tools to add a new dimension to your blues playing.
To get these under your fingers and give you something to play, listen to Ex. 4 where these pairs are played ascending through the scale pattern in fifth position.
Ex. 4
Naturally, anytime you work on a sequential pattern it's helpful to twist those around into different permutations. In Ex. 5 I descend each interval pair while ascending the scale.
Ex. 5
Let's mix it up! In Ex. 6 and Ex. 7 I alternate through the intervals—first I go up then down before reversing the pattern. The fingerings will be pretty logical and common, but, some latitude and creativeness will be needed at some point. Work out something that makes sense to you but doesn't stray too far from the typical scale fingering. Apply the same method to the other four scale patterns and maintain them in position. Fun times.
Ex. 6
Ex. 7
Now for some meat and potatoes. Ex. 8 uses the scale patterns we've been working on. The first two measures use the descending interval concept leading to the rotating major and minor intervals played in triplets in measure 3. Measure 4 is a "two-up, one-down" combination of intervals that lead to a couple of ascending intervals to end the line.
Ex. 8
Ex. 9 is designed to travel up the neck a little more, using scale patterns through several positions. The original idea in measure 1 is played in 5th position and uses rotating intervals. It's played again in measures 2 and 3 an octave up in 7th position, then is answered by the descending intervals in 10th position going into measure 4. As with any new concept, the challenge is to make music and not sound like you're playing an exercise. In these examples, I added some rhythmic variety, space, and musical range to create something that sounds more like a line, not like an exercise.
Ex. 9
This interval sequence can also be played on adjacent strings. Whether together or broken up, you can use them to move along the neck to switch positions while soloing, create a vamp, or add another note to get some funky bluesy three-note chords. See Ex. 10 for the mapping of these intervals on all adjacent string sets.
Ex. 11 adds the intervals on the 4th and 3rd strings to a traditional sounding blues-rock riff. Measures 1 and 3 are identical, and the notes of the intervals are held out to get a little more grit. Measure 2 has a descending run of the intervals to get to the bar line, finishing with another descending run of eighth-notes while switching string sets.
Ex. 11
In Ex.12, I was going for more of a triplet feel that traveled the length of the neck. Mission accomplished. But remember this pro tip: What looks great on paper can be a real pain to play. In measure 1, the intervals are not played in order, but skipping over one of them and then backtracking. After that I'm trying to exploit the b5–5 combination to get from the top two strings to the shapes on the 3rd and 2nd strings. The fingerings are pretty shape-oriented until you get to measure 4. My advice there is to be resourceful.
Ex. 12
Keep in mind, this is only one potential way to group the notes of the blues scale. Explore other possible two-note groupings, either in position or lengthwise up and down the neck. Create a three-note chord shape and run it through the scale just to see what you get. Play all of this with a backing track to really hear what it sounds like. Keep the good stuff and don't worry about the other stuff. There's always another way to look at a scale.
- Deep Blues: Pentatonic Passing Tones - Premier Guitar ›
- Beyond Blues: Moving Past the Pentatonic Scale - Premier Guitar ›
- Beyond Blues: The Mixo-Pentatonic Scale - Premier Guitar ›
- Know Your Chords—In Any Key - Premier Guitar ›
- Know Your Chords—In Any Key - Premier Guitar ›
Featuring studio-grade Class A circuit and versatile resonance switch, this pedal is designed to deliver the perfect boost and multiple tonal options.
Introducing the Pickup Booster Mini – our classic boost now in a space-saving package! Featuring the same studio-grade Class A circuit and versatile resonance switch that guitarists have trusted for over two decades, this compact pedal provides the perfect boost, while the resonance switch can access multiple tonal characteristics when you want it.
Meet the Pickup Booster Mini, our classic Pickup Booster in a pedalboard space-saving size. It delivers that extra push when you need it, along with our unique resonance switch that adds extra versatility! Think of it as your tone's best friend, now in a compact package that won't hog precious board space. Inside this mini powerhouse, you'll find our studio-grade class A circuit and true-bypass switching, ready to boost your signal while keeping your guitar's personality intact. Whether you're after a subtle boost or need to really push your amp, the discrete push-pull design has you covered. And here's a bonus: even at zero gain, it'll clean up your signal chain and make those tone-degrading long cable runs behave.
Need to pull a humbucker sound from your Strat®? The resonance switch makes the pedal interact directly with your pickups, letting your single coils emulate either a chunky humbucker sound perfect for classic rock and blues, or a high-output tone for soaring leads. Running humbuckers? Position 1 adds some teeth to your sound, while Position 2 can give you a hint of that 'cocked-wah' filter sound that'll make your solos cut. Bring one guitar to the gig and cover all that tonal territory with one simple switch!
This mini pedal delivers the exact same boosting and tone-shaping power of the iconic Pickup Booster that players have sworn by for two decades – we just made it easier to find room for it on your board.
For more information, please visit seymourduncan.com.
Pickup Booster Mini | Classic Boost Plus a Secret Weapon w/ Ryan Plewacki from Demos in the Dark - YouTube
PG’sJohn Bohlinger caught up with Moak at his Nashville studio known affectionately as the Smoakstack.
Grammy-nominated session guitarist, producer, mixer, and engineer Paul Moak stays busy on multiple fronts. Over the years he’s written, played, produced and more for TV sessions (Pretty Little Liars, One Tree Hill) and artists including Third Day, Leeland, and the Blind Boys of Alabama. But most recently he’s worked with Heart and Ann Wilson and Tripsitter.
Time Traveler
Moak is most loyal to a 1963 Stratocaster body that’s mated to a 1980s-vintage, 3-bolt, maple, bullet-truss-rod, 1969-style Fender Japan neck. The bridge has been swapped as many as four times and the bridge and neck pickups are Lindy Fralins.
Cool Cat
If there’s one guitar Moak would grab in a fire, it’s the Jaguar he’s had since age 20 and used in his band DC Talk. When Moak bought the guitar at Music Go Round in Minneapolis, the olympic white finish was almost perfect. He remains impressed with the breadth of tones. He likes the low-output single-coils for use with more expansive reverb effects.
Mystery Message Les Paul
Moak’s 1970 L.P. Custom has a number of 1969 parts. It was traded to Moak by the band Feel. Interestingly, the back is carved with the words “cheat” and “liar,” telling a tale we can only speculate about.
Dad Rocker
Almost equally near and dear to Moak’s heart is this 1968 Vox Folk Twelve that belonged to his father. It has the original magnetic pickup at the neck as well as a piezo installed by Moak.
Flexi Plexis
This rare and precious trio of plexis can be routed in mix-and-match fashion to any of Moak’s extensive selection of cabs—all of which are miked and ready to roll.
Vintage Voices
Moak’s amps skew British, but ’60s Fender tone is here in plentitude courtesy of a blonde-and-oxblood Bassman and 1965 Bandmaster as well as a 2x6L6 Slivertone 1484 Twin Twelve.
Guess What?
The H-Zog, which is the second version of Canadian amp builder Garnet’s Herzog tube-driven overdrive, can work as an overdrive or an amp head, but it’s probably most famous for Randy Bachman’s fuzzy-as-heck “American Woman” tone.
Stomp Staff
While the Eventide H90 that helps anchor Moak’s pedalboard can handle the job of many pedals, he may have more amp heads on hand than stompboxes. But essentials include a JHS Pulp ‘N’ Peel compressor/preamp, a DigiTech Whammy II, DigiTech FreqOut natural feedback generator, a Pete Cornish SS-3 drive, Klon Centaur, and Electro-Harmonix Deluxe Memory Man.
PG Contributor Tom Butwin dives into three standout baritone guitars, each with its own approach to low-end power and playability. From PRS, Reverend, and Airline, these guitars offer different scale lengths, pickup configurations, and unique tonal options. Which one fits your style best? Watch and find out!
Reverend Descent W Baritone Electric Guitar - Transparent White
Descent W Trans WhiteFeaturing authentic tape behavior controls and full MIDI implementation, the EC-1 is a premium addition to any guitarist's setup.
Strymon Engineering, the Los Angeles-based company behind premium products for the guitar, plugin, and Eurorack markets, announced a new single-head tape echo pedal in their newer small format today, called the EC-1. Initially based around the award-winning dTape algorithm that helped to make the El Capistan pedal an industry titan, development took a different turn when Strymon acquired an immaculate and heavily modified tube Echoplex® EP-2. The new true stereo pedal features two models of the EP-2’s tube preamp with variable gain, as well as a three-position Record Level switch that allows for additional gain control. Glitchless tap tempo allows tapping in new tempos without tape artifacts, and the Tape Age and Mechanics controls modify a large number of parameters under the hood to deliver authentic tape behavior at any setting. Other features include TRS stereo Ins and Outs, full MIDI implementation, TRS MIDI, arear-panel audio routing switch, USB-C and 300 presets. Being true stereo, the EC-1 processes the left and right inputs independently, allowing it to be placed anywhere in the signal chain.
“We decided to start the project by investigating the preamps from tube echo units, so I bought an original Echoplex® EP-2 to begin the process”, said Gregg Stock, Strymon CEO and analog circuit guru. “It showed up in pristine condition and sounded amazing, and we found out later that it had been heavily modified by storied guitar tech Cesar Diaz. His mods created a single unit with the best attributes of both tube and solid-state Echoplexes, so we spent a bunch of time figuring out how to recreate its behavior.” Pete Celi, Strymon co-founder, and DSP maven said “It was so clean and mechanically stable that other nuances stood out more prominently -chief among them being some capstan-induced variations that help to widen the spectrum of the repeats. With the Mechanics control at around 1 pm, you get a hyper-authentic representation of that golden EP-2 unit, with a high-speed flutter that adds dimension to the echoes.”
EC-1 is available now directly from Strymon and from dealers worldwide for $279 US.
For more information, please visit strymon.net.