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A blue note is a note that is played or sung slightly lower than expected in a traditional major scale. Blue notes give blues, jazz and related styles their expressive, emotional sound.
What is a blue note?
The most common blue notes are the flattened third (♭3), flattened fifth (♭5) and flattened seventh (♭7). Singers and players of instruments such as the guitar or saxophone often bend these notes between the pitches found in the standard Western tuning system, creating the distinctive blues sound.
Because the piano has fixed pitches, blue notes are represented by playing the nearest written note rather than bending the pitch continuously.
How are blue notes used in piano playing?
Piano players often emphasize blue notes by using grace notes, slides between neighboring keys or expressive phrasing. For example, a quick movement from the minor third to the major third creates one of the most recognizable sounds in blues and rock piano.
Learning how to use blue notes naturally adds expression, personality and authenticity to blues improvisation and many other modern piano styles.