I’m sure you know all about major scales and probably relative minor scales. Today I would like to take a look at chromatic scales, whole tone scales, and pentatonic scales. Click on the play button and listen to this short podcast on these musical scales.

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A music scale usually refers to a progression of single notes upwards or downwards in steps. The word “scale” comes from the Latin “la scala” which means “ladder”, so a musical scale is a ladder of notes that runs from the root note to the octave note (octave means “eight”, as in octopus, octagon, etc., so eight notes.) Most beginners in music are introduced to the concept of scales very early in their training. Despite this, it sometimes takes a few years of training to get good understanding of how scales work.

A scale begins with a root, called the tonic. In a C scale (the first one most beginning musicians learn) the tonic note is “C.” The scale progresses either up or downward until it reaches the same note in the next octave. The C scale is an easy example. It begins with the tonic C. Going upward, the notes following are D, E, F, G, A, B and C. Downward, the note progression is C, B, A, G, F, E, D and C. The C scale has a total of eight notes. The distance from the tonic note to the next note of the same name is referred to as an octave. A scale in eight notes is called a diatonic.

Most modern instruments, including the piano, actually contain 12 notes in an octave. This is because semitones are included. The notes that comprise the semitones on a piano in a C scale are the black keys. A scale that includes the semitones is known as a chromatic scale. A chromatic C scale going upwards would be C, C sharp, D, D sharp, E, F, F sharp, G, G sharp, A, A sharp, B and C. Downward, the notes are C, B, B flat, A, A flat, G, G flat, F, E, E flat, D, D flat and C.

A pentatonic scale is scale of five notes. Pentatonic scales are not often used in Western music. The major exception to this rule would be in American blues and some rock music. They are preferred in other cultures though, such as Asian. Pentatonic scales are also common in Celtic and African music. Less common are hexatonic (six steps) and heptatonic scales (seven steps). Scales may also be octatonic (containing eight steps). These are commonly found in modern classical and jazz music.

The intervals between the notes on any scale (diatonic, chromatic, etc.) determine the type of scale. An interval is defined as the distance between two notes. They are also sometimes referred to as steps. Scales can be major (M), minor (m), perfect (P), augmented (A) or diminished (d or dim). The type of scale is determined by the size of the intervals. Interval sizes can be unisons, seconds, thirds, fourths, fifths, sixths and sevenths. Major and minor scales are 2nds, 3rds, 6ths, and 7ths. Unisons, 4ths, 5ths and octaves are perfect.

Sometimes scales may be referred to as modal. A simple definition of a modal scale is a series of notes in a scale, but which lack a primary or tonic note. Therefore many scales may have several modes. For example, every major scale actually has seven different modal scales.

It can take several years of training before a musician gets a good handle on scales and chords. However, even the youngest and newest of musicians use scales and the principles behind them every day. Mastering their theory may come later. Of course, every musician knows that only practice makes perfect!

In popular music, blues keyboard riffs are universal. From Billy Preston jamming with the Rolling Stones to Ray Charles kicking into “What I’d Say,” blues progressions and scales serve as the basis for legendary songs and amazing keyboard solos. One of the greatest aspects of blues keyboard riffs is the musical theory behind them, which is simple enough for beginners, yet still challenges virtuosos.

An important musical tool to understand when playing blues keyboard riffs is the pentatonic scale. The minor pentatonic scale is the basis for most blues solos. Its cousin, the blues scale, adds a flatted fifth in between the fourth and fifth of the minor pentatonic. The major pentatonic is also used in blues keyboard riffs.

If you’re not familiar with these scales, here are some examples. We’ll use the key of E. The minor pentatonic consists of the tones 1, b3, 4, 5 and 7. So in the key of E we would have E, G, A, B and D. To change this to the blues scale, add the flatted fifth, which is bB. This gives you the notes E, G, A, Bb, B and D. The major pentatonic consists of the 1, 2, 3, 5 and 6. In the key of E, this gives us E, F#, G#, B and C#. By learning these scales up and down the keyboard, you will have a base on which to build some awesome blues keyboard riffs.

So how do you make these scales mourn and wail like only the blues can? By knowing them inside and out, you can make musical theory sing. Running up and down scales will just make your blues keyboard riffs sound like finger exercises, but knowing how to blend major and minor pentatonic together will leave your listeners astounded. The key is to understand how blues keyboard riffs incorporate each scale over different chords.

For a basic twelve-bar blues progression, the choice of scale is open, with a few basic rules thrown in for good measure. One of the basic rules to keep in mind is that there are two easy scales to use over any one chord. If you’re playing over an E or E7 chord, you can choose to use the E minor pentatonic or the E major pentatonic. By alternating between the notes of these two scales, you’ll find a variety of notes from which to choose when playing blues keyboard riffs.

You can change any of the minor pentatonic to the blues scale for some added flavor. To do this in the major pentatonic, it may be easier to visualize the scale differently. Take the root of the chord and drop it a minor third. For example, if A is the root, then you would go down to F#. Now play a minor pentatonic in this key. You’re using the same notes as the A major pentatonic, just starting on a different root. Change it to a blues scale and you’ll have the notes F#, A, B, C, C# and E. Now you’ve got another blues scale to play over an A chord! It’s that simple, and it works for any key.

By mastering the use of these scales, you can play any blues keyboard riffs that come your way. The trick is to practice them until you no longer have to think about the notes; you just feel them under your fingertips. Then you’ll wail and mourn like only the greatest blues players can.