Blues scale: notes, the blue note and how it sounds
The blues scale is the minor pentatonic plus the flat 5 (1, ♭3, 4, ♭5, 5, ♭7). Hear the blue note, see the scale in all 12 keys and test your ear.
The blues scale has 6 notes: the minor pentatonic plus the flat 5th, the "blue note": degrees 1, ♭3, 4, ♭5, 5, ♭7. A blues is A C D E♭ E G. The flat 5 is a passing tension that gives the scale its crying, bluesy sound.
Listen: A blues scale
A C D E♭ E G A
What is the formula of the blues scale?
| Value | |
|---|---|
| Notes | 6 |
| Semitones from the tonic | 0, 3, 5, 6, 7, 10, 12 |
| Step pattern | W+H-W-H-H-W+H-W |
What does the blues scale sound like?
Gritty and expressive. The blue note usually slides into the 5th rather than resting on it.
How to recognise it by ear
- Listen for the chromatic squeeze 4-♭5-5 (D E♭ E in A): three notes a half step apart.
- Remove the blue note and you have the minor pentatonic.
- This is the six-note minor blues scale; some teachers also describe a major blues scale (1, 2, ♭3, 3, 5, 6).
Spot the wrong note
Each scale below is a blues scale with one note moved a half step. Find it by ear.
Score: / 3 (your score updates as you answer)
The blues scale in all 12 keys
| Scale | Notes | Hear it |
|---|---|---|
| A blues | A C D E♭ E G | |
| E blues | E G A B♭ B D | |
| B blues | B D E F F♯ A | |
| F♯ blues | F♯ A B C C♯ E | |
| C♯ blues | C♯ E F♯ G G♯ B | |
| G♯ blues | G♯ B C♯ D D♯ F♯ | |
| D blues | D F G A♭ A C | |
| G blues | G B♭ C D♭ D F | |
| C blues | C E♭ F G♭ G B♭ | |
| F blues | F A♭ B♭ C♭ C E♭ | |
| B♭ blues | B♭ D♭ E♭ F♭ F A♭ | |
| E♭ blues | E♭ G♭ A♭ Bb♭ B♭ D♭ |
Frequently asked questions
What notes are in the blues scale?
Degrees 1, flat 3, 4, flat 5, 5, flat 7. A: A C D E flat E G. E: E G A B flat B D. C: C E flat F G flat G B flat.
What is the blue note?
The flat 5th added to the minor pentatonic (E flat in A blues). Blues musicians also bend the third and seventh between flat and natural; those inflections are blue notes too.
How many notes are in the blues scale?
Six: the five notes of the minor pentatonic plus the flat 5.
Is the flat 5 the same as a sharp 4?
Same key on a piano, different spelling. Written as a flat 5 (E flat in A), it shows the note leading down; as a sharp 4 (D sharp), leading up. We spell it as the flat 5.