Guitar · blues

E blues scale on guitar

The E blues scale has six notes: E, G, A, B♭, B and D (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.

Key
Scale
The notes of the E blues scale
NoteEGAB♭BD
Interval1 (root)♭34♭55♭7
Step to the next1½wholehalfhalf1½whole
Make a practice sheet of it
The whole neckevery E blues scale note from the nut to fret 15, the root a diamond
EADGBE135791215openR♭34♭55♭7R♭34♭55♭7R♭34♭55♭7R♭34♭55♭7R♭34♭55♭7R♭34♭55♭7R♭34♭55♭7R♭34♭55♭7R♭3

5 positions to learn it in

The E 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.

Box 1frets 12–15
EADGBE111215R♭34♭55♭7R♭34♭55♭7R♭3
Box 2frets 2–6
EADGBE2357♭34♭55♭7R♭34♭55♭7R♭34♭5
Box 3frets 4–8
EADGBE45794♭55♭7R♭34♭55♭7R♭34♭55
Box 4frets 7–10
EADGBE6795♭7R♭34♭55♭7R♭345♭7
Box 5frets 9–13
EADGBE912♭7R♭34♭55♭7R♭34♭55♭7R

Chords that go with the E blues scale

The chords on each note of the scale that use only its notes. Play over any of them and every note fits; E (Em) is where it sounds at home.

On theChordSeventh chord
root (E)EmhomeEm7home
♭3 (G)Gdaylight–
4 (A)Asus4the door–
♭7 (D)Dsus4heroic–

Scales with the same notes

Compare the E minor pentatonic scale, its minor pentatonic, without the blue note.

Questions

What notes are in the E blues scale?

E, G, A, B♭, B and D. 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 E blues scale?

The chords made only of its notes: Em, G, Asus4 and Dsus4, and as seventh chords Em7. E is home: Em is the chord it sounds most settled over.

The blues scale in every key

CC♯DE♭EFF♯GG♯AB♭B

Other scales in E

E majorE minorE minor pentatonicE major pentatonicE DorianE MixolydianE LydianE PhrygianE harmonic minorE melodic minorE Phrygian dominant

Practise it on a sheet of your own in the practice sheet maker, with a metronome and a drone. Every scale: guitar scales. This scale on bass, ukulele, mandolin and banjo.