Blue Notes

1. Melody with a Tinge of Pathos

How is the sense of “pathos” expressed in music? One of the answers to that question is the “Blue Note”, which you will learn in this session.

VI_mIII_mIVI

First, here is a short EDM phrase. The synth lead, mimicking a voice, repeats the phrase “mi–re–re–do–do–re“. The accompaniment has a dark chord progression, but it doesn’t necessarily convey a sense of “pathos”. Therefore, some modifications will be made to the synth lead…

VI_mIII_mIVI

How about that? Though the difference is very subtle, it carries a hint of melancholy. Let me explain what has changed. At the beginning of the each phrase, the pitch of mi has slightly lowered.

The descent varies subtly each time but is generally set around a pitch that divides mi♭ and mi in a 3:5 ratio. This subtle descent, which can’t be expressed in sheet music creates this melancholic atmosphere.

Therefore, this could be described as a melody that hasn’t reached its point, with an off-pitch quality. However, it doesn’t feel “out of tune”; rather, it gives rise to a distinctive sense of pathos. This “melancholic note with its pitch slightly lowered” is called Blue Note. In addition to the note mi, it is said that the blue note happens with ti and so.

Blue Notes

Melodic notes that are subtly not reaching the normal (Western) pitch of mi, so, and ti (within a range of a semitone or lesser).

The “Blue Notes” are unique musical expressions born in the blues genre.

“Got A Man In The Bama Mine” is in the key of G major, starting with a G major chord. But at the phrase “in the bama mine” (0:24), the vocal sings almost B♭, not B.

The key point is that the accompaniment plays the natural notes. Using distinct notes for the accompaniment and melody creates a muddy resonance. Such “conflict” between patrs does not exist within the foundational systems of classical theory, or even that of jazz. Therefore, it is said that traditional music theory struggles to adequately explain the blues ¹. In this article, we refer to the lowered notes simply as mi♭, so♭, and ti♭ for convenience, but keep in mind that the specific pitch is not precisely defined.

Blue Note and Inclination

From a kernel perspective, due to the flattened pitch, the blue notes fundamentally have a strong tendency downward. Therefore, the basic approach is to create a smooth melodic line by progressing a half-step downward, such as mi♭→re and ti♭→la.

It’s relatively rare to encounter so^♭ in popular music. Mi^♭ is overwhelmingly easy to use, and there are many examples of its usage.

2. Examples of Blue Notes

In popular music, blue notes are used especially when incorporating jazz or rock influences originating from the blues. Let’s listen to some examples.

Fantastic Plastic Machine (FPM) – Beautiful Days

Throughout the entire piece, a considerable number of blue notes are employed. One of the most noticeable instances is the repetition of “Beautiful” starting at 1:40. It continuously follows the pattern of “mi♭-re–do“. The subtly languid mood is attributed to the effect of the blue notes.

The Weeknd – Can’t Feel My Face

In the pre-chorus section (0:25-), at the phrase “Don’t worry”, ti♭ is sung instead of ti. There’s a deeply mournful emotion. which is caused by notes that deviate from the regular major scale. The dark and melancholic atmosphere is reinforced by the use of the blue notes.

Also, the very first note of the chorus part, “I can’t feel my face”, is almost mi♭ instead of mi. In this way, the infusion of the blues soul through the blue notes makes the song even more captivating.

Blue Notes on Instruments

The blatancy of blue notes can be controlled by how much it descends. To express this on instruments, such as in DAW, pitch bend is used. Instruments like saxophones or trombones have bending techniques, and for guitars, there is chocking. For instruments without pitch-bend availability like pianos, creating a “pseudo-blue note” can be achieved through techniques like playing mi and mi♭ simultaneously or playing either one subtly as a grace note.

In this case, the blend of flattened notes, their intensity, and duration allow for adjusting the degree of the bluesy feel.

3. Blues Theory

The prototype of current popular music theory is jazz theory, and one of the origins of jazz is the blues. Therefore, jazz theory has incorporated the concept of blue notes.

Essentially, nuances like pitch fluctuations of less than a semitone that cannot be expressed in sheet music, and melodies that do not harmonize with the chords, contradict the models envisioned by Western music system. However, in order to respect the charm of that music, theorists undertook the task.

As a starting point for the theoretical development, blue notes are explained as “superimposing the minor pentatonic scale over major key chords”².

The “Minor Pentatonic Scale” was introduced in Chapter I. The phenomenon of incorporating flat notes into major key accompaniment was modeled by interpreting it as the “dual layerd system”.

Originally, blue notes are a matter of subtle nuances, capturing the intricacies of vocal expression that cannot be notated in sheet music. Clearly stating “Instead of mi, use mi♭” feels like trimming away a deep aspect of music… However, it’s unavoidable for the sake of theoretical consolidation.

Blues Scale

However, the minor pentatonic scale does not include a flat fifth note (so♭). To take another step towards the blues, a scale called the Blues Scale is defined ³.

Regarding so♭, it is sometimes notated as fa♯ like above, and despite mentioning its “downward tendency” earlier, in practice, it is often utilized as fa♯ and ascends to so. When comparing it with the simple pentatonic, the inclusion of fa♯ deepens the tonal complexity.

Complete Blues Scale

Ultimately, the desire is to play a scale that incorporates both flat and non-flat notes. It is natural to consider performances that use 10 notes, including the 7 notes of the major scale and 3 blue notes. Although there is no specific name for such a scale, in “The Berklee Book of Jazz Harmony”, it is referred to as the More Complete Blues Scale.

If you diligently practice playing with this scale, you’ll be able to control how much bluesy feel you add to your performance, starting from the basic major scale.

Jazz Performance with C Complete Blues Scale Only

Here is a jazz-style performance using the complete blue note scale. Frankly speaking, it can be seen as an “easy-to-use item for achieving a jazzy feel”.

Perfect for Rock Too

This sound, which is difficult to classify as either major or minor, as it is a concept not present in the foundation of classical theory, fits perfectly with the spirit of “rebellious spirit” inherent in rock music.

Here is a rock song that utilizes the blues scale in riffs and solos. Primarily leaning towards a minor key, the inclusion of natural notes of mi and ti and the raised fourth note fa♯ at crucial points create a chaotic sound reminiscent of blues and jazz.

Acquiring a new scale means gaining a new ways of expression. In Chapter III, we will continue to expand the knowledge of scales.

Summary

• The lowering of the pitches of mi, so, and ti by a semitone or less creates a melancholic sound known as the “Blue Notes”.
• In popular music, introducing a flat to mi is the most accessible.
• In jazz theory, this is interpreted as overlaying a minor scale onto a major key.

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