Scale guide
A Minor Blues
In one sentence: A minor pentatonic with Eb added as a passing note: the blue note.
RH ↑ blue numbersLH ↑ red numbers
Only Eb appears on a black key; the rest of the scale sits on white keys.
Hear the idea first
Play A-C-D, then D-Eb-E. Eb adds a brief bite before returning to D or moving to E. On piano it is a specific key, not a pitch between keys or a note to hold at the end of a phrase.
A1C♭3D4Eb♭5E5G♭7
A-C-D-Eb-E-G · 1-♭3-4-♭5-5-♭7
Notes and fingering
- Notes: A-C-D-Eb-E-G.
- Right hand up: 1-2-3-4-1-2-3. Down: 3-2-1-4-3-2-1.
- Left hand up: 5-4-3-2-1-3-2. Down: 2-3-1-2-3-4-5.
Do it, use it, understand it
- Repeat D-Eb-E slowly, without leaning on Eb.
- Over A7-D7-E7, leave space between three-note phrases.
- In B.B. King’s “The Thrill Is Gone,” listen for short calls and answers rather than a full scale run.
Listening and context
Minor-blues vocabulary travelled from singing and acoustic guitar to electric bands. Listen to B.B. King or Muddy Waters for phrasing and the blue note; they are style references, not pitch maps for A.
Watch for this
- Do not skip Eb because it rubs; its job is tension followed by motion.
- Swing is a rhythmic choice, not a requirement for the notes to be right.
- Prefer ending on A, C, D, E, or G; keep Eb moving.
Checklist
- I can find Eb between D and E.
- I can play one octave in time.
- I can make a call and response with rests.