30-day guitar challenge, day 10: Use Paul Gilbert's 4th-less blues scale

(Image credit: Roberto Panucci/Demotix/Corbis)

30-day guitar challenge: After the last two days, strength and dexterity workouts, here's an easy tweak to the blues scale, tipped to us by Paul Gilbert.

You probably know the blues scale. Simply add a b5th into the minor pentatonic scale and you get the blues scale.

Paul gilbert blues scale

Paul gilbert blues scale

Über shred lord Paul Gilbert has his own take on the blues scale, simplifying the shape by taking out the 4th interval - "probably the least interesting of the notes of the blues scale", according to Paul.

Ditching the dull-sounding 4th results in a more direct, to-the-point and aggressive scale that's perfect for edgy blues, fusion and heavy metal soloing. It's easy to play on the guitar, too.

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