Blues scale · 6 notes
A blues scale on guitar
The A blues scale has 6 notes: A, C, D, E♭, E and G. The minor pentatonic plus one “blue note”, the ♭5: six notes of pure blues.
Notes
- A
- C
- D
- E♭
- E
- G
Formula
1 ♭3 4 ♭5 5 ♭7
Steps
W+H – W – H – H – W+H – W
Sound
Gritty, crying and unmistakably bluesy
A blues on the whole fretboard
Every A blues note from the open strings to the 15th fret in standard tuning (E A D G B E). The root, A, is shown in red so you can always find home.
A shape to learn first
You don’t need the whole neck at once. This hand position is anchored on a root note on the 6th (low E) string, which is how most guitarists find a scale in any key.
Root on the 6th (low E) string
A at fret 5. 5th position: frets 5–8.
In the Guitar Scale Finder app you also get the chords of A blues as chord diagrams, and can search all 1,860 scales for the notes you play.
Intervals and formula
Measured from A, the A blues scale is built from these intervals. It contains 1 flat (E♭).
| Degree | Note | Interval | Semitones from root |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | A | root | 0 |
| ♭3 | C | minor 3rd | 3 |
| 4 | D | perfect 4th | 5 |
| ♭5 | E♭ | diminished 5th | 6 |
| 5 | E | perfect 5th | 7 |
| ♭7 | G | minor 7th | 10 |
Chords that go with A blues
A 6-note scale doesn’t make a full set of triads, so guitarists use the chords of its parent scale, A minor. Every note of A blues is in these chords’ key.
- iAmA · C · E
- ii°B°B · D · F
- ♭IIICC · E · G
- ivDmD · F · A
- vEmE · G · B
- ♭VIFF · A · C
- ♭VIIGG · B · D
Progressions to try
- Am – Dm – Em i–iv–v · minor blues, from the parent minor key
- Am – F – Em i–♭VI–v
How to use A blues
Reach for it over 12-bar blues, blues-rock, and over dominant 7th chords and minor chords. Its sound is gritty, crying and unmistakably bluesy.
Tip: Treat the ♭5 as a passing note: slide or hammer through it on the way between the 4th and 5th rather than landing on it.
- The A blues scale is A minor pentatonic plus the “blue note” E♭. See A minor pentatonic.
Where to find A on every string
Knowing where the root sits lets you start this scale anywhere. Here is every A between the open string and the 12th fret.
| String | Frets with A |
|---|---|
| High E (1st) | 5 |
| B (2nd) | 10 |
| G (3rd) | 2 |
| D (4th) | 7 |
| A (5th) | 0, 12 |
| Low E (6th) | 5 |
Same notes, different name
These scales from the Scale Finder library contain exactly the same notes as A blues. They sound different because a different note is treated as home.
A blues scale FAQ
What notes are in the A blues scale?
The A blues scale has 6 notes: A, C, D, E♭, E and G. Its formula is 1 ♭3 4 ♭5 5 ♭7. It contains 1 flat (E♭).
What chords go with the A blues scale?
The A blues scale is drawn from A minor, whose chords are Am, B°, C, Dm, Em, F and G. It also works over a A blues built on dominant 7th chords.
Where do you play the A blues scale on guitar?
The root, A, is at fret 5 on the low E string and fret 0 and 12 on the A string. A good first shape covers frets 5–8, starting from the root on the 6th string.
Which scales share the same notes as A blues?
The A blues scale is A minor pentatonic plus the “blue note” E♭.