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