Major tones in 12-bar blues

Blues is typically played with the notes from the parallel minor instead of the relative minor which you would expect from traditional theory.

I.e. in E major blues you'd use the E pentatonic minor/E blues scale instead of the C# minor/blues.

The chords are I-IV-V.

I is 1-3-5. Sometimes an I7 is used, adding the b7 note, often called a "blue" note.

IV is 4-6-8 (4-6-1). Sometimes a IV7 is used. The b7 of IV is the b3, another blue note.

V is 5-7-9 (5-7-2). Often (usually) a V7 is used. The b7 of V is the 4 note.

In summary, the chords contain the 1_2b334_5_6b77 notes. The only missing notes are the b2, the b5 and the b6.

The b2 and b6 are avoided in blues. Many blues artists use the 6. BB King maintained that the 6 was his b7, giving his solos a sweeter sound.

The #4/b5 is added, changing the pentatonic minor (1-b3-4-5-b7) into the blues scale (1-b3-4b55-b7), but in blues this note is never used on its own, always as a transitory note moving up to the 5 or down to the 4.

In short, the only avoid notes are the b2 and the b6 and even these may be used in transition. The b3 is often used to approach the 3 and the b7 is used to approach the 6 or vice versa.

I hope this helps. Perhaps others who are more knowledgable about blues may add to this or correct me.

The b6 (or bVI chord) works beautifully as a lead in to the V chord in a blues turnaround.

B.B. often seems to use the major blues scale, which is also very popular in New Orleans jazz and Southern gospel music. Basically it's the minor blues scale of the relative minor of the key you're in, tonally centered around that key. So it's the major pentatonic with an additional b3, just as the "blues scale" is the minor pentatonic plus the b5.

The cool thing is, both of those "blues scales" work over a major I-IV-V backing, so you can freely switch between the two or combine 'em. Keyboard players seem to do that more than guitarists, but there's no reason we can't, too. I think of the combined major and minor blues scales as the "super blues scale."
:D

Blues is typically played with the notes from the parallel minor instead of the relative minor which you would expect from traditional theory.

I.e. in E major blues you'd use the E pentatonic minor/E blues scale instead of the C# minor/blues.

The chords are I-IV-V.

I is 1-3-5. Sometimes an I7 is used, adding the b7 note, often called a "blue" note.

IV is 4-6-8 (4-6-1). Sometimes a IV7 is used. The b7 of IV is the b3, another blue note.

V is 5-7-9 (5-7-2). Often (usually) a V7 is used. The b7 of V is the 4 note.

In summary, the chords contain the 1_2b334_5_6b77 notes. The only missing notes are the b2, the b5 and the b6.

The b2 and b6 are avoided in blues. Many blues artists use the 6. BB King maintained that the 6 was his b7, giving his solos a sweeter sound.

The #4/b5 is added, changing the pentatonic minor (1-b3-4-5-b7) into the blues scale (1-b3-4b55-b7), but in blues this note is never used on its own, always as a transitory note moving up to the 5 or down to the 4.
quote]

Yes, thankyou hbriem! That's the mistake I've been making, not resovling up to 5 when i am bending!

Sounds pretty cool doing like a slur bend, is that the correct term? Bending the 4 to b5, ringing b5 till
5 is picked.

B.B. often seems to use the major blues scale, which is also very popular in New Orleans jazz and Southern gospel music. Basically it's the minor blues scale of the relative minor of the key you're in, tonally centered around that key. So it's the major pentatonic with an additional b3, just as the "blues scale" is the minor pentatonic plus the b5.

The cool thing is, both of those "blues scales" work over a major I-IV-V backing, so you can freely switch between the two or combine 'em. Keyboard players seem to do that more than guitarists, but there's no reason we can't, too. I think of the combined major and minor blues scales as the "super blues scale."
:D

Forgive me if this is an obvious question, but I'm still trying to wrap my head around music theory and I'm currently at work and don't have a guitar in front of me. Every time I start thinking I have a glimmer of understanding, I read something that makes me realize my understanding of theory is still at the "caveman beating two rocks together" stage (no offense to any cavemen reading this). If I understand what you wrote above, you are saying that you can combine the major and minor pentatonic scale during a solo and that to find the major pentatonic scale, you can just play the minor pentatonic pattern, but play it in the key of the relative minor of whatever key you are playing? I'm one of those people who need an example, so...

Let's say I'm playing a standard I-IV-V progression in E (E, A, B). So, I start soloing using the E minor pentatonic pattern at fret 12. If I wanted to include the major pentatonic scale, I would find the relative minor of E (C#, right?) and use the same minor pentatonic pattern there (fret 9)?

Yep.

Clapton's solo style usually has him switching from minor to major scales.

A good example is 'Sunshine of Your Love'....
He starts out in the minor pent/blues scale in D (10th fret) doing the melody line from 'Blue Moon'.
As soon as that melody line is over he moves to the major scale.

While Clapton to me, moves in a more vertical 'boxy' way in his solos,
Paul Kossof also mixed scales in his solos.
Koss to me moved in a more horizontal way in his solos though (like a slide player. Duane Allman is another example of a horizontal player IMO)

I find that there are more opportune times than others to move to the major scale. (fool around with it and you'll figure it out)
Though Joe Walsh in James Gang's 'Walk Away' seems to start out there in that solo.

Combining the two often gives solos a bittersweetness.
As Mogley originally posted - it sounds less blue.

Where bouncing to and from the PARALLEL minor is more of a manic/depressive bipolar sorta happy/sad thing.

Ken

I see players who play in major all the time (basically, using the C# pent scale for an E blues song). I don't think it sounds good myself, but if you work it enough you can find some cool things in there. On the other hand, just playing in the pent-minor scale of whatever key you are in can get very boring very quickly. If you do this, really work on figuring out which notes work on different chords. This is tricky but can be done. For example, the A-maj works for the IV or V chord. G-nat works for the I or the IV chord, but not the V.

An improvement in my mind is to keep in mind is what chord of the progression you are on. Think about incorporating the alternative notes from the IV and V chords into your playing (when the progression is on those chords), and you can find ways to creatively switch from major to blues notes. The trick is to not break out of the bluesy feel.

For example, blues in key of E. Especially in an uptempo swing progression you can play g# (the major 3rd of E) on the I chord, and then switch to
g-nat on the IV chord, as it is the b7 of the A chord. The C# (6th of E scale) also works great in the IV chord.

Tri-tones are a big part of blues music, try this tri-tone trick. On the I chord play G# with D-nat, then move the two notes down a half-step (g-nat with C#) on the IV chord. Move it up a whole step on the V chord (A# with D#). Keep the combinations in mind, switch the voicing on the two notes, and thikn about using just one of them if on the IV or V chord. You will find some greattricks in there.