Let’s dive deeper into Intervals and figure out what the scales are. Scales are a selection of notes, out of the chromatic scale (12 notes). They are constructed using steps.

The Minor Blues scale is a staple in blues, rock, and jazz music. It has a raw, expressive quality that captures the essence of the blues genre. This scale is characterized by its use of blue notes, which add a soulful and gritty feel to the music.

Musicians use the Minor Blues scale to create solos and riffs that are both powerful and emotive. It's particularly effective in conveying feelings of sorrow, longing, and resilience. This scale is a favorite among guitarists and other instrumentalists looking to add a bluesy touch to their playing.

Harmonically, the Minor Blues scale allows for the creation of chords and progressions that have a distinctive bluesy sound. These progressions are often used in blues and rock music to create a sense of movement and tension. Whether you're jamming in a blues club or recording a rock anthem, the Minor Blues scale is an essential tool for any musician.

The relative steps of the minor blues scale are: wh-w-h-h-wh-w (w=whole step, h=half step, w=whole and half step).
Let’s explore how that exactly works:

What does diatonic mean?

The term "diatonic" refers to a scale that uses a mix of whole steps and half steps. When we say "diatonic," we mean notes that belong to the scale. For example, if you're playing in the key of C♯ major and using C♯ major notes, those notes are diatonic.

In the piano example above, you saw that only the notes from the scale are used. This means they only include notes "of the scale." Knowing about diatonic notes is important for understanding music theory and making melodies that sound good.

Using diatonic notes helps musicians keep their music in key, making it sound smooth and pleasant. Understanding diatonic notes will improve your musical skills and creativity.

Back to the mandolin! You might wonder how this all translates back to your instrument and that might be a bit confusing at first, but please stay tuned. As you just seen, the chromatic intervals for minor blues scale are {1, 4, 6, 7, 8 and 11}. To most people, this is not very useful information. The diatonic steps 1, ♭3, 4, ♭5, 5, ♭7 are more important to know. Try to learn see the difference between those and learn that by heart. From there it is way more interesting and practical to look at diatonic scale intervals.

Switch between chromatic/diatonic/notes below to see/learn the relations between them. For convenience, the root note (C♯) is highlighted.

As you might notice, the scales have 7 notes, except for the blues and pentatonic scales.