Blues scale · 6 notes
G blues scale on guitar
The G blues scale has 6 notes: G, B♭, C, D♭, D and F. The minor pentatonic plus one “blue note”, the ♭5: six notes of pure blues.
Notes
- G
- B♭
- C
- D♭
- D
- F
Formula
1 ♭3 4 ♭5 5 ♭7
Steps
W+H – W – H – H – W+H – W
Sound
Gritty, crying and unmistakably bluesy
G blues on the whole fretboard
Every G blues note from the open strings to the 15th fret in standard tuning (E A D G B E). The root, G, 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
G at fret 3. 3rd position: frets 3–6.
In the Guitar Scale Finder app you also get the chords of G blues as chord diagrams, and can search all 1,860 scales for the notes you play.
Intervals and formula
Measured from G, the G blues scale is built from these intervals. It contains 2 flats (B♭ and D♭).
| Degree | Note | Interval | Semitones from root |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | G | root | 0 |
| ♭3 | B♭ | minor 3rd | 3 |
| 4 | C | perfect 4th | 5 |
| ♭5 | D♭ | diminished 5th | 6 |
| 5 | D | perfect 5th | 7 |
| ♭7 | F | minor 7th | 10 |
Chords that go with G blues
A 6-note scale doesn’t make a full set of triads, so guitarists use the chords of its parent scale, G minor. Every note of G blues is in these chords’ key.
- iGmG · B♭ · D
- ii°A°A · C · E♭
- ♭IIIB♭B♭ · D · F
- ivCmC · E♭ · G
- vDmD · F · A
- ♭VIE♭E♭ · G · B♭
- ♭VIIFF · A · C
Progressions to try
- Gm – Cm – Dm i–iv–v · minor blues, from the parent minor key
- Gm – E♭ – Dm i–♭VI–v
How to use G 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 G blues scale is G minor pentatonic plus the “blue note” D♭. See G minor pentatonic.
Where to find G on every string
Knowing where the root sits lets you start this scale anywhere. Here is every G between the open string and the 12th fret.
| String | Frets with G |
|---|---|
| High E (1st) | 3 |
| B (2nd) | 8 |
| G (3rd) | 0, 12 |
| D (4th) | 5 |
| A (5th) | 10 |
| Low E (6th) | 3 |
Same notes, different name
These scales from the Scale Finder library contain exactly the same notes as G blues. They sound different because a different note is treated as home.
G blues scale FAQ
What notes are in the G blues scale?
The G blues scale has 6 notes: G, B♭, C, D♭, D and F. Its formula is 1 ♭3 4 ♭5 5 ♭7. It contains 2 flats (B♭ and D♭).
What chords go with the G blues scale?
The G blues scale is drawn from G minor, whose chords are Gm, A°, B♭, Cm, Dm, E♭ and F. It also works over a G blues built on dominant 7th chords.
Where do you play the G blues scale on guitar?
The root, G, is at fret 3 on the low E string and fret 10 on the A string. A good first shape covers frets 3–6, starting from the root on the 6th string.
Which scales share the same notes as G blues?
The G blues scale is G minor pentatonic plus the “blue note” D♭.