A blues scale on mandolin
The A blues scale has six notes: A, C, D, E♭, E and G (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 | A | C | D | E♭ | E | G |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Interval | 1 (root) | ♭3 | 4 | ♭5 | 5 | ♭7 |
| Step to the next | 1½ | whole | half | half | 1½ | whole |
5 positions to learn it in
The A blues scale is learnt in five boxes, each two notes a string under the hand, joined end to end up the neck. Start with box 1 and learn one at a time; together they cover the whole fretboard. Press Play to hear each one, up and back down.
Chords that go with the A blues scale
The chords on each note of the scale that use only its notes. Play over any of them and every note fits; A (Am) is where it sounds at home.
| On the | Chord | Seventh chord |
|---|---|---|
| root (A) | Amhome | Am7home |
| ♭3 (C) | Cdaylight | – |
| 4 (D) | Dsus4the door | – |
| ♭7 (G) | Gsus4heroic | – |
Scales with the same notes
Compare the A minor pentatonic scale, its minor pentatonic, without the blue note.
Questions
What notes are in the A blues scale?
A, C, D, E♭, E and G. 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 A blues scale?
The chords made only of its notes: Am, C, Dsus4 and Gsus4, and as seventh chords Am7. A is home: Am is the chord it sounds most settled over.
The blues scale in every key
Other scales in A
A majorA minorA minor pentatonicA major pentatonicA DorianA MixolydianA LydianA PhrygianA harmonic minorA 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: mandolin scales. This scale on guitar, bass, ukulele and banjo.