Great answer, Colin!

"Heptatonic scale" just means it is a scale with seven notes (e.g., a heptagon is a seven-sided shape). The major scale is heptatonic. A heptatonic blues scale would be one with seven notes that accomodates the blues. Two such scales would be one with the three and seven flatted and one with the three, five and seven flatted. I prefer an all encompassing blues scale such as: 1 2 3b 3 4 5b 5 6 7b 7 1...sort of a "decatonic" blues scale. In actuality, the blues scale comes from the combination of the European tempered major scale and the African "untempred" natural minor scale. The untempered scale has a seven that is not fully a flat seven, wouldn't be found on the piano, and the same with the third. So when playing African influenced melodies on European instruments, folks began adding flat threes and major threes, and flat sevens and major sevens. The repeated phrase: 1 b3 3, 1 b3 3, Shows this.

Scott, often "busy" basslines incude passing tones...notes in the scale that aren't part of the harmonic structure...so go for it. Play chords and notes that complement that bass line. And the bottom line is: if it sounds good, it IS good.

All the Best,
Mike

You've got to know your limitations. I don't know what your limitations are. I found out what mine were when I was twelve. I found out that there weren't too many limitations, if I did it my way. -Johnny Cash

It's only music.
-niteshift

Mike Dunbar Music