There is the blues scale, yet some well known standards are played in the mixolydian mode to add to the confusion. 
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There's something very important missing from the conversation so far:
Imagine for the sake of argument we are playing a blues in C.
The I-IV-V chords are C, F, and G. The notes of a C chord are C, E, G. The notes of an F chord are F, A, C. The notes of a G chord are G, B, D.
The C blues scale is C, D#/Eb, F, F#/Gb, G, Bb.
Put them together (the notes of the I-IV-V chords, plus the notes of the blues scale) and you get: C, D, D#/Eb, E, F, F#/Gb, G, A, Bb, B or 1, 2, #9/b3, 3, 4, #4/b5, 5, 6, b7, 7.
That gives you a "palette" of 10 notes you can use to play the blues in C, at various points in the 12-bar form. The only notes missing are Db (b9) and Ab (b13). Skilled blues players can find ways to use those two notes, too, meaning that, with experience and good taste, it is is possible to incorporate all 12 notes of the chromatic scale into a simple blues in C.
Imagine for the sake of argument we are playing a blues in C.
The I-IV-V chords are C, F, and G. The notes of a C chord are C, E, G. The notes of an F chord are F, A, C. The notes of a G chord are G, B, D.
The C blues scale is C, D#/Eb, F, F#/Gb, G, Bb.
Put them together (the notes of the I-IV-V chords, plus the notes of the blues scale) and you get: C, D, D#/Eb, E, F, F#/Gb, G, A, Bb, B or 1, 2, #9/b3, 3, 4, #4/b5, 5, 6, b7, 7.
That gives you a "palette" of 10 notes you can use to play the blues in C, at various points in the 12-bar form. The only notes missing are Db (b9) and Ab (b13). Skilled blues players can find ways to use those two notes, too, meaning that, with experience and good taste, it is is possible to incorporate all 12 notes of the chromatic scale into a simple blues in C.
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Pretty much every scale can be transposed to every key. With the exception of some scales like diminished scales, whole tone, whole-half, etc. These scales only have like 3 variants that can be played in 4 keys each or something like that.
Interval between the root and the flat 3rd is a "minor third" just like you'd find in a straight minor key. Interval between the root and the flat 7th is a minor 7th interval. Lowering the third and the seventh of the scale gives you the "blues" feel to your playing. So the intervals are the same except that the 3rd is a half-step interval above the 2nd and the 7th is a half step interval above the 6th. Should looks like this - R, W, H, W, W, W, H, W. R=root or tonic.
Doesn't matter what key you play in, using that structure will give you the blues scale in each. This scale notation is NOT normally included in the time signature, but rather written as accidentals if you are actually notating it. For instance in the key of C where there are no flats or sharps, you would flat the E and flat the B to turn it into a blues scale, but that would NOT be noted in the time signature. The flat or sharp would be written in as accidentals on the actual note if you were notating it. If you put that in the time signature, you would expect to be playing in the key of Bb, and it would no longer sound like the blues in C because the root or tonic would no longer be C. It would be Bb with the root or tonic being Bb and that is NOT what you are trying for.
Not quite right. The ones you quoted there are I, III, V, not I, IV, V. The I, IV, V chords in C are C, F, G. In F they are F, Bb, C. and in G they are G, C, D.
The actual "blues scale" in C would be C, D, Eb, F, G, A, Bb, C, which is the lowered 3rd and 7th. The Eb is the lowered 3rd but then you follow it with the, the E, which is fine as a passing note but is not really part of the blues scale. You show a lowered 5th as well as the lowered 3rd and 7th and that's more of a diminshed scale with a flat 7 than anything else. The normal B following the Bb is not part of the blues scale either but rather gives a totally different Major7th feel to whatever you're doing because that is the major 7th interval. Anything above the octave is just a repeat of the beginning.
Having said that, I've got to say that you are quite right that you may be able to use all those notes in the right place, particularly as passing notes on the way to something else. But it's not really correct to call them part of the blues scale. If you want to keep the blues sound, you need to primarily use the blues scale. Chromatic passages (series of half-step changes) can be quite effective and sound really good, but they are not really part of the blues scale. Of course when playing the Blues as in just about anything else, part of the trick is knowing when to break the rules and when not to. A lot of that is trial and error at first, but pretty quickly you start to get a feel for it.
I see your confusion. I went back and edited my post to make it easier to follow. Thanks.
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You guys are GREAT! If I understand correctly, the description of a certain blues scale would be contingent on the root/tonic of that scale, and wouldn't be contingent on any key signature? I could annotate each scale (C, Db, G, etc) simply starting the scale from that root?
I think you would make things a lot easier for yourself if you thought in terms of CHORDS rather than scales.
Sure. You can play a blues scale, however you define it, in each key. It's wierd to get inside of someone's head to understand what they are thinking, but you can play a blue's scale in any key, just like you can play a major or minor scale in any key. What's the big deal?
You are correct!
The advantage of writing standard notation using the corresponding key signature is that it makes it easier for the musicians to sight-read. If you are using the corresponding key signature, then the notes 1-4-5 of the blues scale are written without accidentals, and the blue notes b3-b5-b7 are written with accidentals. This helps the musician by making the altered/blue notes visually "pop" off the page because the accidental signs cues the performers they are going outside the major scale.
A few examples:
C major key signature (no sharps no flats), 1-4-5 = C, F, G, which are in the key signature, and b3-b5-b7 = Eb, Gb, Bb, which aren't in the key signature, so you need to write flat accidentals for these blue notes.
Db major key signature (5 flats), 1-4-5 = Db, Gb, Ab, which are in the key signature, and b3-b5-b7 = Fb, Abb, Cb, so you need to write flat or double flat accidentals for these blue notes.
G major key signature (1 sharp), 1-4-5 = G, C, D, which are in the key signature, and b3-b5-b7 = Bb, Db, F natural, so you need to write flat or natural accidentals for these blue notes.
I hope that made a little bit of sense?
You are correct!
The advantage of writing standard notation using the corresponding key signature is that it makes it easier for the musicians to sight-read. If you are using the corresponding key signature, then the notes 1-4-5 of the blues scale are written without accidentals, and the blue notes b3-b5-b7 are written with accidentals. This helps the musician by making the altered/blue notes visually "pop" off the page because the accidental signs cues the performers they are going outside the major scale.
A few examples:
C major key signature (no sharps no flats), 1-4-5 = C, F, G, which are in the key signature, and b3-b5-b7 = Eb, Gb, Bb, which aren't in the key signature, so you need to write flat accidentals for these blue notes.
Db major key signature (5 flats), 1-4-5 = Db, Gb, Ab, which are in the key signature, and b3-b5-b7 = Fb, Abb, Cb, so you need to write flat or double flat accidentals for these blue notes.
G major key signature (1 sharp), 1-4-5 = G, C, D, which are in the key signature, and b3-b5-b7 = Bb, Db, F natural, so you need to write flat or natural accidentals for these blue notes.
I hope that made a little bit of sense?
I used a #4 instead of a b5, but this illustrates what you're explaining:
Great work, Febs! The blue notes really jump out when you write it like this. I especially liked how you notated #4 instead of b5, because it makes it easier to read as an ascending scale.
I think this proves conclusively that there are 12 different blues scales, one for each of the 12 keys.
I think this proves conclusively that there are 12 different blues scales, one for each of the 12 keys.
No big deal, I'm simply trying to learn and improve my understanding. I had an incorrect understanding of how you would identify/annotate a blues scale, I think I have it now.
Exactly! Thanks, Febs, I am glad that someone was able to understand what I was trying to say. I'd just done the major scales in the same way, and I wasn't sure if I understood the theory.
I'm going to come at this from a different perspective (being I'm not a bassist - yet). So here's my story of the blues scale coming from the soloist point of view:
I taught myself to play sax and flute and harmonica back in the late 60's by listening to blues records. So I noticed this pattern that was in every rock and blues song ... I went to the music department and asked what it was - and was told "it isn't a scale and don't play it anymore" (they didn't know what it was)... and then I went to a jazz oriented school and I was told "it's a blues scale .. don't play it anymore" (they knew what it was - it's just too simple so don't use it) ... Then I went out and made a living for many years using that pattern I was told not to use.
Anyway ... Of course there are 12 blues scales, one for every pitch ... same pattern just starting on a different note .... HOWEVER most rock and blues tunes that I listened to back then, the guitarist or singer or harmonica player or sax (whatever) would stay on the same scale for the whole chord progression. So if it was blues in E, the E blues scale was used through the whole chord progression .. with occasional shifts to add a riff with part of the blues scale for the IV or V chord. It sounds more interesting (as a soloist) if you shift it up ... but you can certainly play patterns based off the blues scale for the I chord over the whole I-IV-V progression. (and I'm guessing this is where the OP got the idea that there might not be a scale for every key) .... that's my take anyway.
I taught myself to play sax and flute and harmonica back in the late 60's by listening to blues records. So I noticed this pattern that was in every rock and blues song ... I went to the music department and asked what it was - and was told "it isn't a scale and don't play it anymore" (they didn't know what it was)... and then I went to a jazz oriented school and I was told "it's a blues scale .. don't play it anymore" (they knew what it was - it's just too simple so don't use it) ... Then I went out and made a living for many years using that pattern I was told not to use.
Anyway ... Of course there are 12 blues scales, one for every pitch ... same pattern just starting on a different note .... HOWEVER most rock and blues tunes that I listened to back then, the guitarist or singer or harmonica player or sax (whatever) would stay on the same scale for the whole chord progression. So if it was blues in E, the E blues scale was used through the whole chord progression .. with occasional shifts to add a riff with part of the blues scale for the IV or V chord. It sounds more interesting (as a soloist) if you shift it up ... but you can certainly play patterns based off the blues scale for the I chord over the whole I-IV-V progression. (and I'm guessing this is where the OP got the idea that there might not be a scale for every key) .... that's my take anyway.
Someone recently discovered D works too, but that's just hearsayHuh? What? I thought it was only available in E and A. Well, that's been my experience at the local Blues Jams...
Which happens to be the notes in those scales. It always comes around full circle.
Am I correct then that the first staff shows a C blues scale, and the second would be a F blues scale, etc?
Yes, and so on through the cycle of fourths: C, F, Bb, Eb, Ab, Db, Gb, B, E, A, D, G.
