Scale · 6 notes
A blues scale — guitar notes & shapes
The A blues scale is A, C, D, E♭, E, G. The blues scale is the minor pentatonic plus one passing note, the flat 5th (“blue note”). Use it as a quick, gritty chromatic step between the 4th and the 5th.
On the fretboard
Red = root (A). High e string on top, like tab. Numbers show the scale degree. Shaded area: position 1 (frets 5–8).
Notes and formula
| Degree | Note | Interval |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | A | root |
| ♭3 | C | minor 3rd |
| 4 | D | perfect 4th |
| ♭5 | E♭ | flat 5th (blue note) |
| 5 | E | perfect 5th |
| ♭7 | G | minor 7th |
Steps: W+H W H H W+H W (W = whole step, H = half step).
Chords to play it over
Home key: Am.
Sound, styles and practice
Styles: Blues, blues rock, jazz-blues and rock’n’roll.
- Don’t sit on the ♭5: pass through it on the way to the 5th.
- Play over a 12-bar blues in the same key.
- Combine slides and bends on the ♭5 for vocal phrasing.
Go further with the pentatonic scale guide and how to improvise.
FAQ
- What notes are in the A blues scale?
- A blues: A, C, D, E♭, E, G.
- Where do I play A blues on the guitar?
- The easiest place is around fret 5, where A sits on the low E string (highlighted in the diagram). The same pattern repeats 12 frets higher.