Blues music commonly features which type of notes known as blues notes?

• A. Lowered third and dominant seventh
• B. Raised second and ninth
• C. Perfect fifth and octave
• D. Major third and major seventh

Answer: (A)

Blues notes come from inflecting notes of the major scale by lowering them, which gives that distinctive bluesy sound. The most characteristic choices are the lowered third and the lowered seventh. Lowering the third changes the major third into a minor-sounding interval, which gives the soulful, plaintive color that defines much of blues harmony and melody. Lowering the seventh adds a strong bluesy tension against the tonic, a color that’s central to the feel of blues and to many blues-influenced chords and riffs.

Raising other notes, like the second or ninth, or sticking with stable intervals like the perfect fifth or octave, doesn’t produce that bluesy flavor. Similarly, using a major third and major seventh would sound brighter and more “major” in character, not the characteristic blues sound.