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Blues scale

The minor pentatonic with one note added: the flat fifth, the “blue note” that gives blues, rock and soul their bite. Six notes in all.

Its formula is 1 ♭3 4 ♭5 5 ♭7: six notes, gritty, with a blue note.

Make a beat in A minor

Opens the free editor with a trap beat in A minor to play A blues over. No account needed to start.

Hear the blues scale

Here on A, A blues. From the root up to the root: step and a half, whole, half, half, step and a half, whole. Tap a key to hear it.

A C D E♭ E G A

ACDEGAE♭
The blues scale by scale degree, on A
DegreeOn AFrom the root
1ARoot
♭3CMinor third
4DPerfect fourth
♭5E♭Diminished fifth
5EPerfect fifth
♭7GMinor seventh

The blues scale in every key

The same steps from each of the twelve notes. Open one for its keyboard, its chords and a beat to play it over.

The blues scale on all twelve notes
ScaleNotes
C bluesC E♭ F G♭ G B♭
C♯ bluesC♯ E F♯ G G♯ B
D bluesD F G A♭ A C
D♯ bluesD♯ F♯ G♯ A A♯ C♯
E bluesE G A B♭ B D
F bluesF A♭ B♭ B C E♭
F♯ bluesF♯ A B C C♯ E
G bluesG B♭ C D♭ D F
G♯ bluesG♯ B C♯ D D♯ F♯
A bluesA C D E♭ E G
B♭ bluesB♭ D♭ E♭ E F A♭
B bluesB D E F F♯ A

Questions about the blues scale

What is the blues scale?

The minor pentatonic with one note added: the flat fifth, the “blue note” that gives blues, rock and soul their bite. Six notes in all.

What is the formula of the blues scale?

1 ♭3 4 ♭5 5 ♭7: 6 notes, counted from the major scale on the same root. Its steps from the root up to the root are: step and a half, whole, half, half, step and a half, whole.

How do I play the blues scale in any key?

Start on any note and follow the steps above. A blues: A C D E♭ E G; C blues: C E♭ F G♭ G B♭; E blues: E G A B♭ B D. Every key is on this page, each with its own page and keyboard.

More scales and modes

Scales and modes
Major and minor keysMajor pentatonic scaleMinor pentatonic scaleBlues scaleHarmonic minor scaleMelodic minor scaleDorian modePhrygian modeLydian modeMixolydian modeLocrian modePhrygian dominant scaleWhole tone scale

Build a song on the blues scale

Start with the beat, then add chords, a melody and your voice in the editor, part by part.

Make a beat in A minorAll music scales

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