Which notes are commonly referred to as the 'blues notes'?

• A. E-flat, G-flat, and B-flat
• B. C, E, and G
• C. D, F, and A
• D. A, C, and E

Answer: (A)

Blues notes are the altered tones that give the soupçon of “blue” in blues music: the flattened third, flattened fifth, and flattened seventh relative to the major scale. These three pitches—the flattened third, fifth, and seventh—provide the characteristic bite and color that define much of blues phrasing and harmony.

In a common key, those notes are E-flat, G-flat, and B-flat. They appear in the blues scale and are used as chromatic or passing tones to create that distinct bluesy feel. The other options reflect standard major or minor triads (like a major triad’s root, third, and fifth, or a minor triad’s notes), which don’t carry the same bluesy altered-tone color because they lack the lowered scale degrees that give the characteristic sound.