The Blues Scales: Essential Tools for Jazz Improvising Paperback – June 1, 2005

About this book - "The Blues Scales: Essential Tools for Jazz Improvising"I learned quite by accident from the forum "All About Jazz." As a jazz educator with a large experience I am constantly looking for educational material on jazz harmony, theory, improvisation and composition, and also on specific topics - like this book of Dan Greenblatt.Question the use of blues scales in improvisation has always regarded books on improvisation, and one would ask: "What is new, this book adds to the theme than others? "Blues scales - a topic that usually takes a maximum of 2 pages a regular book of jazz theory, here extends to 80 pages.Firstly a clear and precise representation of the two basic blues scales - major and minor. This division is clearly and systematically preserved in all musical examples till the end of the book.Since the beginning of exercises are given to each of these scales separately, and then demonstrates the transition from one type to another blues scale in the same melodic line. Along the way, points to the difficulty for a jazz musician in the constant use of these scales that introduce an element of monotony in the refined jazz melody. This view inevitably leads to a situation where the mutual infiltration of the blues and non blues elements in improvisation (chapter 3,4) - in bebop, fusion.In addition, the book provides a blues vocabulary of real, rather than contrived blues licks, which are connected not just with a guitar. Here I really do not have enough examples of blues vocals - in the end, Louis Armstrong played blues on trumpet exactly as he sang ; the same can be said about Ray Charles, and his playing on piano and saxophone.In general, the book is very practical, contains a lot of exercise, highly professional recorded examples and playbacks for training.

This book unlocks the secret to how to speak the language of the blues improvisers. If you want to sound like a blues improviser and are willing to practice two blues scales, you should get this book.

For me (as a beginner) this book has so far been the best source for understanding the major & minor blues scales, theory and movements. I ordered it immediately after having borrowed it from the library. The exercises on the accompanying CD are easy enough, good practise for almost anyone.

I wish I was learning faster but that's on me. It looks like everything I need to know for awhile is in here.

Review – The Blues Scales: Essential Tools for Jazz Improvisation Dan Greenblatt“The blues Scales” is a book with an approach best suited for the beginning jazz improviser who knows the basic chords and scales.Dan wants the pupil to start with both the Minor Bb Blues Scale and the Major Bb Blues Scale and use them alternately and then with more reason over the basic blues chord structure. He encourages the pupil to move into the F Blues scales, and has exercises on the accompanying CD that utilize those scales. The other keys are mentioned, and the pupil is encouraged to work into all 12 Major and all 12 minor blues scales.Dan then introduces the expanded Blues scales adding the 9th and the 6th and chromaticism.Included in the book, and to some degree on the CD, are numerous blue “vocabulary” phrases. But most of these are not named as to source. Dan also mentions playing from the heart, once the early exercises in the two 6 note blue scales in Bb are mastered.The book is deceptively simple. But like all music, and Dan concurs, lots and lots of practice needs to be taken to master the 3 keys he utilizes in the book and CD. The book ends with a list of the Sher Music Company jazz fake books and 50 basic tunes referenced into the Sher Music Company fake books.For the beginning improviser, this is one good, but highly structured approach. And with the guidance of an experienced jazz improvising teacher, will work. But if the student has trouble always coloring within the lines, this book is a set of “shackles” (Dan's word) from which the student must break free. The jazz “vocabulary” is basic and good for the beginning jazz improviser.

Pay attention to which Version you're getting. I got the C Version and have to transpose all the examples to play along with the included CD.

I did not receive the CD with the book. How can I at least get the Audio files?

This is really geared towards horn players and is a good tool to use after learning how to play with the major scales, but it didn't do much for my bass playing.