Alfred Music Publishing Coursebook for Mandolin : Sample pages : Page 9

256 Mastering Mandolin

64 Chapter 5—Scales and Modes

PART TWO—MELODY

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Swing 8ths

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G

3 0 1 3 0 1 3

5 0 2 5 0 2 5

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0 1 3 0 1 0 1

0 2 5

0 2 0 2

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3 0 1 3 0 1 3

5 0 2 5

0 2 5

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C D

0 2 0 3 1 0 1

0 3 0

5 2 0 2

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3 0 1 3 0 1 3

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5 0 2 5 0 2 5

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C D

2 0 3 0 3 1 0

3 0

5

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5 2 0

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1 3 3 0 1

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5 5 0 2

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min

2 0 3 0 3 1

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2 0 2

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3 0 1 3 0 2 0 3

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1 0 0 3 0

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Now that you have some familiarity with pentatonic scales and understand how they can

be used, here is a great tune for you to try. This tune is composed solely from the notes

contained in the G Major Pentatonic scale and provides a perfect example of how the

scale can not only sound pleasing over different chords in a key but can be crafted into a

very nice sounding tune too.

SPOOTISKERRY REEL

Track 33

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65Chapter 5—Scales and Modes

PART TWO—MELODY

THE BLUES SCALE

One of the most infallible ways for a beginning improviser to create pleasing solos is to

use the blues scale. That’s because all of the notes in the scale will sound good with almost

any basic blues tune, in a major or minor key. The important thing is to use the scale with

the same root name as the key you’re playing in. Like the pentatonic scales we just dis-

cussed, the blues scale let’s you play one scale over the entire chord progression with

virtually no chance of playing a “wrong note.”

You will notice right away that a blues scale bears an amazing similarity to the minor

pentatonic scale. In fact, for all practical purposes, it is a minor pentatonic scale with an

added a

�

5, making it a six-note scale.

Here is a C Blues scale. Use the movable fingering shown in the diagram to play the scale

in any key.

40

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wb

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wb wn

wb

5

1 3 4 5

1

4 1 2 3 4 1

1 3 4 5 5 7

b b n b

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

1 2 3

1

4

Yank Rachell (1910–1997) was one of the most

prolific and influential blues mandolinists

playing both electric and acoustic mandolins.

His performing and recording career spanned

seven decades and included work as a soloist

with artists such as Sonny Boy Williamson and

Sleepy John Estes.

PHOTO • MAUREEN DELGROSSO

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