johan d
82 posts
Sep 08, 2017
11:42 PM
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Playing 2nd position. Can you play the the blues scale over an F or G chord on a C harp? Starting on F and G?
I am asking this because of improvisation possibilities. If you change to F in a 12 bar blues, you use other notes to improvise than over the C chord. What notes to use in F and what notes to use over G?
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timeistight
2196 posts
Sep 09, 2017
12:53 AM
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The C Blues Scale works fine over the F and G chords of a blues in C -- it works even better than it does over the C chord.
To emphasize the chord change, target the notes in those chords (F, A, C, Eb for F and G, B, D, F for G) when playing over those chords.
Of course, like the pizza video shows, you can play any note if you resolve it. Like Miles Davis said, “It’s not the note you play that’s the wrong note – it’s the note you play afterwards that makes it right or wrong.”
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JInx
1334 posts
Sep 09, 2017
9:56 AM
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Use the notes that sound good. Find them one at a time.
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WinslowYerxa
1425 posts
Sep 09, 2017
9:58 AM
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Using the F blues scale in a C blues requires several overblows. And it will usually sound too minor and dark. But both the G blues scale and C blues scale will sound fine.
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Winslow
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Last Edited by WinslowYerxa on Sep 09, 2017 9:59 AM
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SuperBee
4940 posts
Sep 10, 2017
7:05 AM
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Hang on. If I'm reading the op correctly You're not playing a C blues, you're playing a 2nd position blues scale on a C harp so that's a G scale. You'd expect that's probably gonna go well with the G chord, like it's made to go well.
Ok. But then the chord changes to F, how does your G blues scale fit?
Assuming It's an F7 chord
F G A Bb C D Eb F
G 'blues scale'
G Bb C Db D F G
I like Jinx' advice, and I reckon when it comes to the F chord you could start with the 2" and the 5 and investigate the notes which work well with those notes. I reckon 3" will be good, 3"' should be ok, in fact the 3 draw plus all 3 draw bends should be good, and 4 blow (and 1 blow)
2 and 5 blow would likely not sound good, and I might view 2 draw/3 blow and 1 draw 4 draw and bends with suspicion.
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timeistight
2198 posts
Sep 10, 2017
8:21 AM
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Good catch, SuperBee. I had glossed over the confusion about key and position but of course my answer would be different for a blues in G. On the other hand, I can't think of a blues in G with An F chord in the progression. Lots of rock songs like that but no blues.
Maybe Johan d will come back clear up our confusion.
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johan d
83 posts
Sep 10, 2017
10:30 AM
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Maybe I was unclear.
I play a C harp in 2nd position, I,IV,V
So that would be G C D
So Bluesscale in G should sound good in every chord in 12 bar blues?
Last Edited by johan d on Sep 10, 2017 10:31 AM
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The Iceman
3346 posts
Sep 10, 2017
10:49 AM
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johan:
Yes.
Listen to BB King solo. He uses blues scale mostly.
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The Iceman
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Todd Parrott
1422 posts
Sep 10, 2017
3:03 PM
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The blues scale will work better over the I and IV than it will over the V. There are better options for the V chord in my opinion, which is basically what it comes down to - which notes are the best choices.
While I wouldn't say it's wrong to play the G blues scale over the V, I don't like the sound of it, mainly because the V chord in this case is D, and a basic D chord is made up of D-F#-A. The 2 draw and 6 blow are G, so depending on what and how the lick is played, the G can rub against the F# in the V chord and sound bad to my ears. Doesn't mean you can't ever play a G (2 draw or 6 blow) over the V chord, but it depends on how it's used. I prefer to play licks based in the D blues scale over the V chord, so basically I go into more of a 3rd position mode over the V. And, the D blues scale has a G (2 draw or 6 blow) in it, so again, it's OK to use a G over a D chord, depending on how it's used. Hard to explain in writing - easier to play and demonstrate in person.
But I guess the main thing I'm getting at is that you want your licks to jive well with the chord changes, so I wouldn't recommend playing the G blues scale over everything. The harmonica is very rich with V chord lick possibilities, with lots of good bendable notes. To me the IV chord is more of a challenge, because you have so many blow notes that aren't bendable.
Last Edited by Todd Parrott on Sep 10, 2017 4:38 PM
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