blue note
noun
: a variable microtonal lowering of the third, seventh, and occasionally fifth degrees of the major scale
Examples of blue note in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The voice singing those lyrics is raw and plaintive, dipping into blue notes.
—
Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 17 Mar. 2024
The individual phrases in that opening verse ended primarily with blue notes, providing just the right amount of angst and grit.
—Tom Roland, Billboard, 10 May 2023
While Jones is musical, her blue note always hits harder than any grace note.
—New York Times, 17 Sep. 2021
Crunch time has arrived for the Boston Bruins, who have been on the receiving end of enough hits from the St. Louis Blues to have blue note logos imprinted all over their aching bodies.
—Helene Elliott, latimes.com, 5 June 2019
Isbell played lead guitar throughout the song, bending buttery blues notes on that ’59 Les Paul.
—Matt Wake | Mwake@al.com, al, 11 Sep. 2019
Calvin Klein’s trousers picked up the blue notes, and mirrored Givenchy shades finished the ensemble.
—Edward Barsamian, Vogue, 26 July 2018
The living room and dining room are splashed with notes of crimson red, while the bedrooms are trimmed with icy blue notes.
—Kelsey Kloss, ELLE Decor, 27 May 2016
Blues feeling is integral to jazz as well, whether the quasi-microtonal cry of blue notes or the expressive style of articulation in its sobs and shouts.
—Peter Margasak, Chicago Reader, 4 Apr. 2018
Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 17 Mar. 2024
The individual phrases in that opening verse ended primarily with blue notes, providing just the right amount of angst and grit.
—Tom Roland, Billboard, 10 May 2023
While Jones is musical, her blue note always hits harder than any grace note.
—New York Times, 17 Sep. 2021
Crunch time has arrived for the Boston Bruins, who have been on the receiving end of enough hits from the St. Louis Blues to have blue note logos imprinted all over their aching bodies.
—Helene Elliott, latimes.com, 5 June 2019
Isbell played lead guitar throughout the song, bending buttery blues notes on that ’59 Les Paul.
—Matt Wake | Mwake@al.com, al, 11 Sep. 2019
Calvin Klein’s trousers picked up the blue notes, and mirrored Givenchy shades finished the ensemble.
—Edward Barsamian, Vogue, 26 July 2018
The living room and dining room are splashed with notes of crimson red, while the bedrooms are trimmed with icy blue notes.
—Kelsey Kloss, ELLE Decor, 27 May 2016
Blues feeling is integral to jazz as well, whether the quasi-microtonal cry of blue notes or the expressive style of articulation in its sobs and shouts.
—Peter Margasak, Chicago Reader, 4 Apr. 2018
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'blue note.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Blue note.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/blue%20note. Accessed 23 Apr. 2024.
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