This article, “Blues Progression Guide Tones On Guitar”, was written for the GAK Blog by guest writer Gary Heimbauer on behalf of Guitar Tricks.
To learn this technique, you’ll need some knowledge of your guitar scales. In a standard blues, it’s common to use the minor pentatonic scale of whatever the key is, as a home base scale that we can play over the entire chord progression.
In other words, let’s say we’re playing this typical blues progression in A:
We can solo over this entire chord progression with just the A minor pentatonic scale and it will sound good!
Chord Tones
Now let’s consider the chord tones of each of the guitar chords in the progression. They are all dominant seventh chords, so they all contain a Root (1), a major third (3), a perfect fifth (5) and a minor 7th (b7).
Here is a one-octave arpeggio of each of the chords:
A7
D7
E7
As you can see, the major third of all of the chords is missing from the A minor pentatonic scale, while the roots and flat sevenths are all included. The fifth of the five chord is also outside of the scale, but that’s not as powerful of a note as a third or seventh.
The thirds and sevenths are the most colourful and defining notes of each chord, and when played together, they create a tritone, or a diminished 5th interval which is very striking to the ear, and really gives us the sound and character of the chord.
One way that we can really outline a blues progression in our lead playing, and add a bit of sophistication to typical pentatonic playing, is to target the major thirds of each chord since these pull us out of the pentatonic of the key, and into whatever chord we’re on in the progression.
We can also play both the major thirds and the minor 7ths of each chord together, as a way to play the chord with only two notes!
Thirds and Sevenths
Here is a graphic of the thirds and sevenths of each chord, in relation to the main pattern of the A minor pentatonic scale. The A7’s thirds and sevenths are blue, the D7s are yellow, and the E7s are pink.
Notice how the 3rds and 7th of all three chords are right next to one another!
Now see that one octave higher!
Try targeting these tones in your solo, or playing them as double stops as a way to play the chord with only two notes.
Conclusion
In conclusion, understanding the concept of chord tones and incorporating them into our solos can greatly enhance our blues playing.
By combining the A minor pentatonic scale with the major thirds and minor sevenths of each chord in the progression, we can create a more sophisticated and colourful sound. Targeting these tones or playing them as double stops allows us to highlight the character and unique qualities of each chord.
By expanding our knowledge of scales and chord tones, we can take our blues solos to the next level and add depth and variety to our playing. So grab your guitar and start experimenting with these techniques to unlock a world of possibilities in your blues improvisation.