Scale Reference
A Blues Scale
The A blues scale adds the b5 "blue note" to the A minor pentatonic | A, C, D, Eb, E, G. That single chromatic addition creates the gritty, expressive tension that defines the blues sound.
About this scale
The blues scale is the minor pentatonic with one added note: the diminished 5th, or blue note. In A, this is Eb | a half step below the natural E. It acts as a chromatic passing tone, creating tension that resolves beautifully into the E natural.
A blues is the backbone of the 12-bar blues in A | one of the most played chord progressions on guitar. B.B. King, Eric Clapton, and Stevie Ray Vaughan all built their signature sounds around this scale in this key.
Intervals
Root | Minor 3rd | Perfect 4th | Diminished 5th | Perfect 5th | Minor 7th
See it live on the fretboard
Pick up where this chart leaves off | build patterns, add triads, change the key, and experiment freely.
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