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
Counter stools from The Future Perfect wear a vegan chenille by Kieffer Textiles that echoes blue notes in the breakfast room.
—
Paige Porter Fischer,
Better Homes & Gardens,
22 Apr. 2025
The song drips with pungent blue notes, but Flack — singing over a jazz combo at a ponderous tempo — finds a way to luxuriate in the melody, bending the lyrics enough to make any fan perk up.
—
Ben Sisario,
New York Times,
24 Feb. 2025
Aldean also makes subtle melodic changes, adding a blue note here or there that creates a little extra grit.
—
Tom Roland,
Billboard,
24 Apr. 2024
The voice singing those lyrics is raw and plaintive, dipping into blue notes.
—
Brian Hiatt,
Rolling Stone,
17 Mar. 2024
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Paige Porter Fischer,
Better Homes & Gardens,
22 Apr. 2025
The song drips with pungent blue notes, but Flack — singing over a jazz combo at a ponderous tempo — finds a way to luxuriate in the melody, bending the lyrics enough to make any fan perk up.
—
Ben Sisario,
New York Times,
24 Feb. 2025
Aldean also makes subtle melodic changes, adding a blue note here or there that creates a little extra grit.
—
Tom Roland,
Billboard,
24 Apr. 2024
The voice singing those lyrics is raw and plaintive, dipping into blue notes.
—
Brian Hiatt,
Rolling Stone,
17 Mar. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Blue note.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/blue%20note. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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