Blues

The blues scale is a six-tone minor scale common in blues, rock, and other contemporary styles. It is almost identical to the minor pentatonic, except for one added tone—a flatted 5th. Here are the notes, tones, and intervallic structure shown based on E.

E blues, boxes 1 – 5

If you have already learned the minor pentatonic scale, the blues scale is a piece of cake. The minor pentatonic is shown in solid dots with the added ♭5th in grey.

Fingering: Box 1 uses open position. Box 2 shifts between third and second position, then back to third position for strings 1 and 2. Box 3 is in fifth position (stretch back a fret on the G string). Box 4 is in seventh position (up to eighth position for string 2). Box 5 is in tenth position (stretch back a fret on strings 3 and 4). Alternatively, you may simply use fingers 1 and 3 except when an extra finger is required due to having three notes on a string.

Below are all five interconnected boxes for E blues. Play through each pattern, shifting up and down the neck. Then practice using the sequence patterns from page 14. Remember to visualize the E minor "anchor" chords within boxes 1 and 4.

Once again, the pattern repeats above fret 12. All the notes are one octave higher than the corresponding box found lower on the fretboard.

E blues, diagonals

The diagonal forms of the E blues scale are shown below, centered on box 1 (primary) and box 4 (secondary).

Fingering: For the primary diagonal, use ascending fingering (grouped in octaves) 1-3-1-1-2-3-1, 3-1-1-2-3-1, 3-1-1-2-3. Reverse this for descending. For the secondary diagonal, follow the same idea. The ascending fingering is (0)-1-1-2-3-1, 3-1-1-2-3-1, 3-1-1-2-3-1-3.

Other tonalities

Below are the full interconnected patterns for G blues, A blues, and C blues. Once again, notice the "anchor" chords. Also look for the diagonal forms sprouting in both directions from boxes 1 and 4.

At this point, you have learned the blues scale in E, G, A, and C. For the remaining "in between" keys—F, F♯, G♯, B♭, B, C♯, D, and D♯—simply take the nearest key and slide up or down a fret or two, to place the root of the pattern on the correct pitch. (See page 63 for note names on the neck, if necessary.)