Daniel Ward Blues Lesson–Explore Different Blues Forms Using the Same Pentatonic Lick

BY DANIEL WARD | FROM THE WINTER 2024 ISSUE OF UKULELE

Blues has shaped the soundscape of modern music and has roots that stretch deep into American history. Evolving over a long period in the U.S., the blues originated as a Black American art form. Today, its modern version blends elements from over 100 years of various musical traditions.

There are so many styles of blues today that it can be overwhelming to know where to start a musical journey in this style, let alone figuring out how it works on the ukulele. But playing blues on any instrument is a joy, and it’s not hard to jump in right away
and make some great sounds even if you are just a beginner. The simplicity of the chord changes, combined with the pentatonic (five-note) scale, makes the blues an ideal way to explore your musical creativity.

In this lesson, we’ll look at specific elements key to the sound of three different styles and use a simple pentatonic melody lick that fits over the harmonies in each example. The magic comes from hearing how the same melody changes as the chords shift underneath. This is a basic music theory lesson and an ear-training exercise at the same time, but without the usual hard work! All you need to do is play through it and listen.

The Basic Form

Let’s jump right in with Example 1—a Chicago-style 12-bar blues that uses all dominant seventh chords. It’s one of the most popular and familiar blues styles. Everyone from B.B. King to Stevie Ray Vaughan has recorded songs based on this structure. I’ll keep the 12-bar (plus one measure) format for each example so that the harmonic changes are as clear as possible.

Start by just playing the chords—don’t worry about the melody yet. Only three chords make up the entire form, so feel free to loop it over and over before landing on the final A7 chord. This type of blues cycles between dominant sevenths, which pull toward the next chord change. The result is a very twangy sound that comes from the constant key changes, but it always lands back at the beginning. It’s a form and sound that gets into your head quickly, and you soon can just feel where the chords change.

Once you’re comfortable with the chords, try adding the melody lick. Based on the A minor pentatonic scale (A C D E G) as shown in open position in Figure 1, it starts on beat 3 in the third measure of each line and lands on the next chord change. It may seem strange to use a minor scale over chords that aren’t all minor, but that’s the magic of the five-note scale—it skips over notes that wouldn’t work as well.

The melody comes in the same place every time and uses the same notes for each example. This could get repetitive, but play through and listen to how the chord changes enhance the simple pentatonic scale, and how the melody pulls toward each chord change.

The Minor Variation

Example 2 is the same 12-bar form but uses minor chords. Minor blues has a special sound that pulls at the heartstrings. You’ll notice that the E chord is still a dominant seventh. This is quite common in a minor key and adds some spice, but you can alternatively play it as a minor chord.

Once again, get used to playing through the chords first, then add the melody lick. It’s the same notes and rhythm, but notice how different the sound is when you land on the next chord. It takes a little time to start using the scale to improvise your own melodies, but it’s easy to sound good when you use your ear and explore.

Western Swing Blues

Now let’s look at what’s called a major blues (Example 3). This sound is really different from the two previous examples. It’s very popular with country swing styles but can be used in any format that follows this chord progression. I made the connection to this sound in college when I learned a few songs by Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys. My ears nearly popped when I heard the same scale played over all major chords!

In this case, we have a new blues using just C, F, and G7. The chords are in the same places as before, but we’re in the relative major key. The notes of the pentatonic scale are the same for A minor (A C D E G) and C major (C D E G A). Play through the whole form, then add the melody lick. It’s exactly the same again, in the same place in the form, but the sound here is so different!

The magic of the pentatonic scale is that it works over several different chord progressions without hitting any sour notes. There’s a lot of music theory behind why it works so well, but for now, just use it and listen. You can, of course, use the scale to improvise your own melodies, and I encourage you to do so, using this lesson as a template. The blues is a fantastic way to explore your own musical abilities. It’s a forgiving style, and you don’t have to be an amazing player to sound great and find rich music in its simple melodies.