In one sentence: Eb minor pentatonic with A natural, a passing blue note between Ab and Bb.

Formula and map

• Formula: 1-♭3-4-♭5-5-♭7.
• Notes: Eb-Gb-Ab-A-Bb-Db.
• The minor pentatonic is Eb-Gb-Ab-Bb-Db; A connects Ab to Bb.

Useful fingering

• Right hand up: 2-3-4-1-2-3-4. Down: 4-3-2-1-4-3-2.
• Left hand up: 4-3-2-1-4-3-2. Down: 2-3-4-1-2-3-4.
• Play Ab-A-Bb with equal durations so you can distinguish the three keys before phrasing.

Do it, use it, understand it

1. Do it: repeat Ab-A-Bb without stopping on A.
2. Use it: over Eb7-Ab7-Bb7, leave a rest after every short answer.
3. Understand it: A is ♭5 and is not part of the base minor pentatonic; it adds direction toward Bb.
4. Listen: in B.B. King's “The Thrill Is Gone,” notice how a rest shapes an answer; listen for the gesture without assigning the track's key to Eb blues.

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 Eb.

Common mistakes

• Do not confuse Ab, A, and Bb: name them while playing them slowly.
• As an initial practice, move A toward Eb, Ab, or Bb to hear the resolution.
• Do not repeat the same full ascent: trim it to a three-note cell.

Checklist

• I can distinguish Ab-A-Bb on the keyboard.
• I can play one octave in both hands without stopping.
• I move A to a neighboring note.
• I make a short answer after a rest.