Triadic Improvisation with Major Blues Scales

A triad is 3 notes played together. Using a triad for the purpose of improvising is pretty common. Since the triad consists of the three notes in any given chord, the notes cannot possibly clash with the chord that is being played. By themselves, the notes in the triad, while working well against the chord being played, are not very interesting. Using them as a basis or starting point from which to build, is the way many improvisers develop their solos .It is important that you first learn how to play a triad and how to move it up and down the fingerboard to form different letter named triads by moving the same formation to different frets.

Below is a diagram of a triad. The circled note is the letter name of the triad. You can see that the letter name changes as you move the triad to different frets.

If we are improvising a 12-bar blues in the key of "D," the chord progression would be:

D D D D

G G D D

A G D D

By moving the triad to the 10^th fret, you will be playing the "D" triad. The notes of the triad may be played in any order. Notes may be played multiple times and timing can be varied for more musical interest.

The following is an example of a single string musical idea created from the notes in the "D" triad.

This musical idea, or a similar one, could be played over all of the measures that contain a "D" chord. When the chord change occurs, simply shift to the fret that corresponds to the chord you changed to and create a musical idea on that fret. Continue this for the entire song.

I will go back to the "G" triad I diagramed earlier.

The notes in that "G" triad are "G" (the note on the 1^st string,) "B" (the note on the 3^rd string) and "D" (the note on the 2^nd string. When you only play these three notes, you are only playing the chord tones, and as I stated earlier, that can be a little boring or uninteresting. By adding the note a whole step, or two frets above the "G" and the notes a whole step, or two frets above the "D" we will create a series of notes that are commonly played against the "G" chord. They constitute a scale called the "major pentatonic scale."

That scale may be defined as the 1^st, 2^nd, 3^rd, 5^th and 6^th tones of the major scale. The 4^th and 7^th tones of the major scale are often omitted because they are each a half step away from tones in the "G" chord and can be a little harsh or dissonant sounding.

The following is a diagram of the G major pentatonic scale.

This can be transposed to other keys by simply moving it up or down the fingerboard to the fret that corresponds to the chord you are playing over.

In the example below, I created a short musical example using the major pentatonic scale. In this example, I am playing over a "G" chord, so I will use a G major pentatonic scale. When the chord changes to another chord, it is necessary or shirt to the appropriate position to match the chord you are playing over.

Below is an example of a musical idea using the notes in the G major pentatonic scale.

Once again, it is necessary to change scales when the chord change occurs.

Using the notes of the major pentatonic scale will give the improvisation a slight country flavor.

To get a blues kind or sound, or maybe a southern rock, you need to add a couple of blues notes. The flatted 3^rd and flatted 7^th tones of the scale are the most common notes added to create this sound.

The scale created by adding these notes is the major blues scale. Below is a diagram of that scale in the key of "G."

I added the flatted 3^rd in both lower and upper octaves. Note the one I added below the 3^rd of the chord on the 3^rd fret, 3^rd string.

The following is an example of a musical idea in "G" using the G major blues scale.

This scale, as with the previous examples, must move up or down the fingerboard as the chord changes occur. I will remind you that it is just an example. Any note from the diagramed scale can be played, and they may be played in any order. They may be repeated, the rhythm changed, notes may be slide into or slurred with hammer-ons or pull-offs. Notes may also be bent into from the fret below.

I will give an example of how these ideas can be used in a song.

The 12 bar blues in "D" that I wrote at the beginning of this chapter can use this major blues scale, but it must move up or down to the appropriate fret at the chords change. The 12 bar blues begins with a "D" chord, so the scale should begin with the lowest note on the 10^th fret. Notes from that scale are played for the first four measures. On measure five, the chord changes to "G," so the scale moves down to the 3rd fret for two measures. Once again, the chord changes back to a "D" on measure seven, so we move back to the 10^th fret. We use that scale for two measures, then the chord changes to "A" and we move the scale to the 5^th fret for one measure. The chord changes back to "G" and we move back to the 3^rd fret for a measure. The last two measures of the song are back on a "D" chord, so we return to the 10^th fret.

Below is an example of something that might be played over this chord progression.

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