C blues scale on mandolin
The C blues scale has six notes: C, E♭, F, G♭, G and B♭ (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 | C | E♭ | F | G♭ | G | B♭ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 C 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 C blues scale
The chords on each note of the scale that use only its notes. Play over any of them and every note fits; C (Cm) is where it sounds at home.
| On the | Chord | Seventh chord |
|---|---|---|
| root (C) | Cmhome | Cm7home |
| ♭3 (E♭) | E♭daylight | – |
| 4 (F) | Fsus4the door | – |
| ♭7 (B♭) | B♭sus4heroic | – |
Scales with the same notes
Compare the C minor pentatonic scale, its minor pentatonic, without the blue note.
Questions
What notes are in the C blues scale?
C, E♭, F, G♭, G and B♭. 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 C blues scale?
The chords made only of its notes: Cm, E♭, Fsus4 and B♭sus4, and as seventh chords Cm7. C is home: Cm is the chord it sounds most settled over.
The blues scale in every key
Other scales in C
C majorC minorC minor pentatonicC major pentatonicC DorianC MixolydianC LydianC PhrygianC harmonic minorC melodic minorC 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.