In one sentence: E minor pentatonic with Bb, a passing blue note between A and B.

Formula and map

• Formula: 1-♭3-4-♭5-5-♭7.
• Notes: E-G-A-Bb-B-D.
• The minor pentatonic is E-G-A-B-D; Bb creates the rub between A and B.

Useful fingering

• 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.
• Play A-Bb-B evenly and without pedal at first.

Do it, use it, understand it

1. Do it: alternate A-Bb-B, then return from B to A without rushing.
2. Use it: over E7-A7-B7, leave a one- or two-note answer after each rest.
3. Understand it: Bb is ♭5; it tensions the path to B rather than replacing it.
4. Listen: in B.B. King's “The Thrill Is Gone,” follow the shape of short phrases and their rests; do not assign the recording's key to this scale.

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 E.

Common mistakes

• Do not confuse Bb with B: alternate the two keys before playing a phrase.
• As an initial practice, use Bb as a step toward A or B when closing a phrase.
• Do not try to fill the accompaniment with notes: a short phrase can already answer.

Checklist

• I can locate Bb between A and B.
• I keep the catalog fingering going up and down.
• I use A-Bb-B without stopping on Bb.
• I can create a phrase and an answer with rests.