G♯ blues scale on banjo
The G♯ blues scale has six notes: G♯, B, C♯, D, D♯ and F♯ (1 ♭3 4 ♭5 5 ♭7). The minor pentatonic with the flat 5th added: the blue note. Use it on the way between the 4th and the 5th rather than holding it.
| Note | G♯ | B | C♯ | D | D♯ | F♯ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Interval | 1 (root) | ♭3 | 4 | ♭5 | 5 | ♭7 |
| Step to the next | 1½ | whole | half | half | 1½ | whole |
3 positions to learn it in
Each stretch here is a few frets you can play without moving the hand: the open position, then from the root on the lowest string. Press Play to hear each one, up and back down.
Chords that go with the G♯ blues scale
The chords on each note of the scale that use only its notes. Play over any of them and every note fits; G♯ (G♯m) is where it sounds at home.
| On the | Chord | Seventh chord |
|---|---|---|
| root (G♯) | G♯mhome | G♯m7home |
| ♭3 (B) | Bdaylight | – |
| 4 (C♯) | C♯sus4the door | – |
| ♭7 (F♯) | F♯sus4heroic | – |
Scales with the same notes
Compare the G♯ minor pentatonic scale, its minor pentatonic, without the blue note.
Questions
What notes are in the G♯ blues scale?
G♯, B, C♯, D, D♯ and F♯. Its intervals from the root are 1 ♭3 4 ♭5 5 ♭7, and the steps between its notes are W+H W H H W+H W (W a whole step, H a half step).
What chords go with the G♯ blues scale?
The chords made only of its notes: G♯m, B, C♯sus4 and F♯sus4, and as seventh chords G♯m7. G♯ is home: G♯m is the chord it sounds most settled over.
The blues scale in every key
Other scales in G♯
A♭ majorG♯ minorG♯ minor pentatonicA♭ major pentatonicG♯ DorianA♭ MixolydianA♭ LydianG♯ PhrygianG♯ harmonic minorG♯ melodic minorA♭ Phrygian dominant
Practise it on a sheet of your own in the practice sheet maker, with a metronome and a drone. Every scale: banjo scales. This scale on guitar, bass, ukulele and mandolin.