Arts & Culture
How the Blues Scale Shaped Early Rock and Roll Guitar Riffs
Quick fact
The blues scale is essentially the minor pentatonic scale with an added 'blue note'—a flattened fifth that creates tension. This single note is the reason so many rock riffs sound edgy and soulful.
Why this is interesting
You've heard those unmistakable guitar riffs—think Chuck Berry's 'Johnny B. Goode' or the Rolling Stones' 'Satisfaction'—but what makes them sound so 'rock and roll'? The secret is a six-note scale that adds a 'dirty' note to a simple five-note pattern.