Dictionary: C Blues Scale

When you add a diminished 5th note to the C minor pentatonic scale (the G-flat note, in this case), you now have the C blues scale.  Try it over C.  Any C.  You may like the results.

Dictionary: C Minor Pentatonic Scale

The C minor pentatonic scale is convenient to use for improvising solos and composing melodies over a C minor chord progression, especially if you are unsure whether to use the Aeolian, Dorian, or Phrygian mode at any given moment.

The C minor pentatonic scale sounds especially bluesy over a C major chord progression.  If you want an even bluesier scale, stay tuned ...

Modes in C

For larger mode maps:
C Lydian
C Ionian
C Mixolydian
C Dorian
C Aeolian
C Phrygian
C Locrian

See also:
C Major Scale
C Minor Scale

Modes with 3 Flats

For larger mode maps:
Eb Ionian
F Dorian
G Phrygian
Ab Lydian
Bb Mixolydian
C Aeolian
D Locrian

See also:
Eb Major Scale
C Minor Scale

Dictionary: Cm Chord

If you want simpler diagrams, check out this guitar entry from July 2007 and this piano/keyboard entry from January 2011.  There's also this awkward, non-C?-E?-G? spelling of C minor:

Dictionary: C Minor Scale

This scale is the relative minor of Eb major.  In the table below, you'll enter C harmonic minor territory with the chords to the right:

Cm	Eb	Ddim	Ebaug
Fm	Ab	Abm	Fdim
Gm	Bb	G	Bdim

One Pentatonic Scale + Three Chords / Seven Modes with Two Flats for #Guitar

Four #Chords / Three More Chords + C Minor #Pentatonic #Scale for #Keyboard (Next Week's #Facebook #Preview!)

Starting next week, we'll see you on Facebook again! 

Seven #Modes with Three Flats / Four #Chords in E-Flat for #Guitar

Three Chords + F Blues Scale for #Guitar / and for #Keyboard (#Piano)

Jam Session 101l with C7sus2 Ebmaj7 Bb F; G7

Here are some show/lesson/jam session notes for Jam Session 101l:

This time, Ryan uses a capo on the third fret, so all fret numbers for this tab are relative to the capo:

C7sus2 Ebmaj7 Cm7    Eb C7sus2     Bb   F/A     G7   

g |-0---0----0----------|-0--------3---------||-0-------------------|
D |-0---0----0----------|-0--------3----3----||-0-------------------|
Bb|-0---0----0-0-----0--|-0--------0----2----||-1-------------------|
F |-2---2----2-2-----x--|-2--------0----0----||-0-------------------|
C |-000-3-0--000-3-0-3--|-000-3-0--2----x----||-2-------------------|
G |---------------------|----------3----2----||-0-------------------|

Like yesterday's Jam Session, try a C minor-flavored scale, like C blues:

    C minor pentatonic
e |---------------------|--------------------|-----11--13--15--18--|
B |---------------------|----------------11--|-13------------------|
G |---------------------|-----8--10--12------|---------------------|
D |--------------8------|-10-----------------|---------------------|
A |----6--8--10---------|--------------------|---------------------|
E |-8-------------------|--------------------|---------------------|

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Jam Session 101k with Cm G Bb F; Eb

Here are some show/lesson/jam session notes for Jam Session 101k:

    Cm     G              Bb    F               Eb

e |-3---3--3------------|-------1------------||-6-------------------|
B |-3h4-4--3--x--x--x-x-|-3--3--1--x--x--x-x-||-8-------------------|
G |-3h5-5--4--x--x--x-x-|-3--3--2--x--x--x-x-||-8-------------------|
D |-3h5-5--5--x--x--x-x-|-3--3--3--x--x--x-x-||-8-------------------|
A |-3---3--5--x--x--x-x-|-1--1--3--x--x--x-x-||-6-------------------|
E |--------3------------|-------1------------||---------------------|

Ryan then uses a capo on the first fret to play similar chords (fret numbers are relative to the capo):

    Cm     G              Bb    F               Eb

f |-2---2--2------------|-------0------------||-2-------------------|
C |-2h3-3--2--x--x--x-x-|-2--2--0--x--x--x-x-||-3-------------------|
Ab|-2h4-4--3--x--x--x-x-|-2--2--1--x--x--x-x-||-2-------------------|
Eb|-2h4-4--4--x--x--x-x-|-2--2--2--x--x--x-x-||-0-------------------|
Bb|-2---2--4--x--x--x-x-|-0--0--2--x--x--x-x-||---------------------|
F |--------2------------|-------0------------||---------------------|

Jon plays the C blues scale:

He also jams to the notes from the C minor pentatonic scale (above, in orange circles, and tabbed below):

    Cm
e |---------------------|--------------------|-----11--13--15--18--|
B |---------------------|----------------11--|-13------------------|
G |---------------------|-----8--10--12------|---------------------|
D |--------------8------|-10-----------------|---------------------|
A |----6--8--10---------|--------------------|---------------------|
E |-8-------------------|--------------------|---------------------|

If you don't know how to read guitar tab (as computer text), this section of a Wikipedia article may help.

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Podcast subscribers: If these jam session notes look jumbled, please visit http://www.chorddujour.com - Thanks!

C Major and C Minor

C major scale: C D E F G A B C
C major chord: C D E F G A B C

C minor scale: C D Eb F G Ab Bb C
C minor chord: C D Eb F G Ab Bb C

Lesson #5: Power Chords in C Minor (Guitar, Intermediate)

I don't know if this lesson truly qualifies as an "intermediate" lesson, but it does take some experience to realize why these tonally ambiguous root-5th power chords are in the context of C minor (or Eb major):





In proper notation, G#5 should be Ab5.

Eb Chord Progressions: IV and iv Substitutions

Remember from last time:

I. Eb major
ii. Fm
iii. Gm
IV. Ab major
V. Bb major
vi. Cm
vii(b5). Ddim

Remember that the Eb major diatonic scale is as follows: Eb F G Ab Bb C D Eb

Remember that the relative minor of Eb major (the chord and the scale) is C minor.

The C natural minor scale is as follows: C D Eb F G Ab Bb C (compare with Eb major).

The C harmonic minor scale is as follows: C D Eb F G Ab B C (note the singular difference between the natural and harmonic minor scales).

Now we have those ground rules established, it might help in the songwriting process to punctuate the IV chord with a iv chord, which makes things a bit Beatlesque (for lack of a better word). Going back to the simple relative minor substitutions from last time, let's try the following progression:

I-V-IV-IV: Eb Bb Ab Ab

Let's replace the V chord with its relative minor, the iii chord.

I-iii-IV-IV: Eb Gm Ab Ab

Let's try the III chord instead.

I-III-IV-IV: Eb G Ab Ab

Let's replace the second IV chord with a iv chord (which is a minor chord).

I-III-IV-iv: Eb G Ab Abm

Anyway, to connect with the natural minor and harmonic minor scales mentioned above, let's look at the IV and iv chords.

IV. Ab major chord (Ab C Eb notes)

iv. Ab minor chord (Ab B Eb notes)

Experiment with different chord progressions, and the best of luck to you in the songwriting process.

Eb Chord Progressions: iii and III Substitutions

Remember from last time:

I. Eb major
ii. Fm
iii. Gm
IV. Ab major
V. Bb major
vi. Cm
vii(b5). Ddim

The Eb major diatonic scale is as follows: Eb F G Ab Bb C D Eb

Therefore, the relative minor of Eb major (the chord and the scale) is C minor.

The C natural minor scale is as follows: C D Eb F G Ab Bb C

The C harmonic minor scale is as follows: C D Eb F G Ab B C

Now we have those ground rules established, it might help in the songwriting process to substitute the mellow iii chord with a more confident III chord. Going back to the simple relative minor substitutions from last time, let's try the following progression:

I-V-I-V-IV-V-I (I-V): Eb Bb Eb Bb Ab Bb Eb (play Eb Bb quickly)

Let's replace some I and V chords with their relative minors, vi and iii respectively.

I-V-vi-iii-IV-V-I (vi-V): Eb Bb Cm Gm Ab Bb Eb (Cm Bb)

Let's replace the iii chord with a III chord (that is a major chord).

I-V-vi-III-IV-V-I (vi-V): Eb Bb Cm G Ab Bb Eb (Cm Bb)

Anyway, to connect with the natural minor and harmonic minor scales mentioned above, let's look at the iii and III chords.

iii. G minor chord (G Bb D notes)

III. G major chord (G B D notes)

C Blues Horizontal (Guitar, Intermediate)

Learning this expanded pattern will give you total control over the C blues scale - horizontally, vertically, and diagonally. It is advisable to memorize the entire scale in chunks that are four frets wide. Here are a few things to be aware of:

1. Hollow circles represent the C note.
2. Orange circles represent a simple pattern for the C minor pentatonic scale: C, Eb, F, G, and Bb notes.
3. Gray circles represent the rest of the pentatonic scale, outside of the simple diagonal pattern from yesterday.
4. Blue circles represent the jazzy-sounding blue note of the scale: F#.

C Blues Diagonal (Guitar, Beginner)

This pattern of the C blues scale will make you move in a mostly diagonal motion, relative to the fretboard. Here are a few things to be aware of:

1. Hollow circles represent the C note.
2. Orange circles represent a simple pattern for the C minor pentatonic scale: C, Eb, F, G, and Bb notes.
3. Blue circles represent the jazzy-sounding blue note of the scale: F#.

The blues scale sounds great above several varying chord progressions, from those resembling a major key (C7, F7, G7) to those more minor in nature (Cm, Eb, F) to the relative major (Eb, Bb, Cm, Ab), etc.

C Blues Vertical (Guitar, Beginner)

This pattern of the C blues scale will make you move in a mostly vertical motion, relative to the fretboard. Here are a few things to be aware of:

1. Hollow circles represent the C note.
2. Orange circles represent a simple pattern for the C minor pentatonic scale: C, Eb, F, G, and Bb notes.
3. Blue circles represent the jazzy-sounding blue note of the scale: F#.

The blues scale sounds great above several varying chord progressions, from those resembling a major key (C5, F5, G5) to those more minor in nature (C5, Eb5, F5) to the relative major (Eb, Ab, Bb), etc.

Cm7 (Guitar, Beginner)

Cm7 stands for C-minor seventh (or seven, if you like). It is more akin to C7 (C-major with a seventh note) than it is to Cmaj7 (C-major with a major-seventh note).

Starting from the C minor chord position:

1. Keep your index finger bar from the A string to the high E string, behind the 3rd fret.
2. Keep your middle finger on the B string, behind the 4th fret.
3. Keep your ring finger on the D string, behind the 5th fret.
4. Lift your pinky finger OFF the G string, 5th fret - the G string is now fretted behind the 3rd fret (by your index finger).
5. Avoiding the low E string, strum the Cm7 chord.