Year 8
Year 8

How is a blues scale constructed?

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. In this lesson, we will explore how blues' musicians create interesting improvisations.

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This content is made available by Oak National Academy Limited and its partners and licensed under Oak’s terms & conditions (Collection 1), except where otherwise stated.

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5 Questions

Q1.
What types of instruments were used in early blues music?
Brass and woodwind
Concertina and vocals
Correct answer: Percussion and guitar
Q2.
Which instrument did blues artist Milt Jackson play?
An image in a quiz
guitar
trumpet
Correct answer: vibraphone
Q3.
What is a blues 'head'?
Correct answer: A main melody or theme that will repeat throughout a blues song.
A solo improvisation.
The 12 bar blues arrangement.
Q4.
How many bars is the "Bags' Groove" head?
Correct answer: 2 bars and a beat
3 bars and a beat
4 bars and a beat
Q5.
If in "Bags' Groove" the head was originally played by the vibraphone, which instruments would play the accompaniment?
Bass, drum machine and synths.
Correct answer: Bass, piano and drums.
Pipes, piano and tuba.

6 Questions

Q1.
Where is this famous blues artist Miles Davis from?
Correct answer: America.
Canada.
England.
Q2.
Which pitches are heard in the G major scale?
Correct answer: G A B C D E F# G
G A B D E G
G Bb C Db D F G
Q3.
Which pitches are heard in the G major pentatonic scale?
G A B C D E F# G
Correct answer: G A B D E G
G Bb C Db D F G
Q4.
Which pitches are heard in the G major blues scale?
G A B C D E F# G
G A B D E G
Correct answer: G Bb C Db D F G
Q5.
What is improvising?
Copying another musician.
Following a score.
Correct answer: Making up the music on the spot.
Q6.
When do you improvise in "Bags' Groove"?
All the way through.
At the end.
Correct answer: Between the heads.