Blues scale · 6 notes
C♯ blues scale on guitar
The C♯ blues scale (C sharp blues scale) has 6 notes: C♯, E, F♯, G, G♯ and B. The minor pentatonic plus one “blue note”, the ♭5: six notes of pure blues. You may also see it written as D♭ blues, but C♯ is the usual spelling because it needs fewer accidentals.
Notes
- C♯
- E
- F♯
- G
- G♯
- B
Formula
1 ♭3 4 ♭5 5 ♭7
Steps
W+H – W – H – H – W+H – W
Sound
Gritty, crying and unmistakably bluesy
C♯ blues on the whole fretboard
Every C♯ blues note from the open strings to the 15th fret in standard tuning (E A D G B E). The root, C♯, 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
C♯ at fret 9. 9th position: frets 9–12.
In the Guitar Scale Finder app you also get the chords of C♯ blues as chord diagrams, and can search all 1,860 scales for the notes you play.
Intervals and formula
Measured from C♯, the C♯ blues scale is built from these intervals. It contains 3 sharps (C♯, F♯ and G♯).
| Degree | Note | Interval | Semitones from root |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | C♯ | root | 0 |
| ♭3 | E | minor 3rd | 3 |
| 4 | F♯ | perfect 4th | 5 |
| ♭5 | G | diminished 5th | 6 |
| 5 | G♯ | perfect 5th | 7 |
| ♭7 | B | minor 7th | 10 |
Chords that go with C♯ blues
A 6-note scale doesn’t make a full set of triads, so guitarists use the chords of its parent scale, C♯ minor. Every note of C♯ blues is in these chords’ key.
- iC♯mC♯ · E · G♯
- ii°D♯°D♯ · F♯ · A
- ♭IIIEE · G♯ · B
- ivF♯mF♯ · A · C♯
- vG♯mG♯ · B · D♯
- ♭VIAA · C♯ · E
- ♭VIIBB · D♯ · F♯
Progressions to try
- C♯m – F♯m – G♯m i–iv–v · minor blues, from the parent minor key
- C♯m – A – G♯m i–♭VI–v
How to use C♯ 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 C♯ blues scale is C♯ minor pentatonic plus the “blue note” G. See C♯ minor pentatonic.
Where to find C♯ on every string
Knowing where the root sits lets you start this scale anywhere. Here is every C♯ between the open string and the 12th fret.
| String | Frets with C♯ |
|---|---|
| High E (1st) | 9 |
| B (2nd) | 2 |
| G (3rd) | 6 |
| D (4th) | 11 |
| A (5th) | 4 |
| Low E (6th) | 9 |
Same notes, different name
These scales from the Scale Finder library contain exactly the same notes as C♯ blues. They sound different because a different note is treated as home.
C♯ blues scale FAQ
What notes are in the C♯ blues scale?
The C♯ blues scale has 6 notes: C♯, E, F♯, G, G♯ and B. Its formula is 1 ♭3 4 ♭5 5 ♭7. It contains 3 sharps (C♯, F♯ and G♯).
What chords go with the C♯ blues scale?
The C♯ blues scale is drawn from C♯ minor, whose chords are C♯m, D♯°, E, F♯m, G♯m, A and B. It also works over a C♯ blues built on dominant 7th chords.
Where do you play the C♯ blues scale on guitar?
The root, C♯, is at fret 9 on the low E string and fret 4 on the A string. A good first shape covers frets 9–12, starting from the root on the 6th string.
Which scales share the same notes as C♯ blues?
The C♯ blues scale is C♯ minor pentatonic plus the “blue note” G.