A Blues Scale
The A blues scale contains A – C – D – Eb – E – G. It is A minor pentatonic plus one added note, the blue note Eb, between the 4th and 5th. It is also called the minor blues scale.
A blues scale chart
Pentatonic and blues scales have no standard book fingering, so none is shown here. Pick fingers that keep your thumb off the black keys.
A blues vs A minor pentatonic
| Degree | 1 | b3 | 4 | b5 | 5 | b7 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pentatonic | A | C | D | – | E | G |
| Blues | A | C | D | Eb | E | G |
The blue note is the only addition. It is a passing note, a half step from both D and E: slide through it on the way between them rather than resting on it.
What A blues is used for
It is the sound of blues soloing, and of a lot of rock and jazz too. A 12-bar blues in A uses three dominant 7th chords, A7, D7 and E7, and this one scale works over all of them. Its minor 3rd, C, clashes on purpose with the C# in A7, and that rub is the blues sound.
Notes and intervals
| Note | Degree | Interval from A | Semitones |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | 1 | root | 0 |
| C | b3 | minor 3rd | 3 |
| D | 4 | perfect 4th | 5 |
| Eb | b5 | diminished 5th | 6 |
| E | 5 | perfect 5th | 7 |
| G | b7 | minor 7th | 10 |
Step pattern
The blues scale is built from the pattern W+H – W – H – H – W+H – W (W = whole step, H = half step, W+H = three semitones). Apply that pattern from any starting note and you get the same scale in a different key.
Key signature and accidentals
Blues is normally written with accidentals over the key signature of the piece. A minor has no sharps or flats, and the blue note Eb falls outside it, so it always takes an accidental. See the key of A minor for the chords of the minor key.
Chords using only these notes
The dominant 7th chords of a blues are not in this list because they contain notes outside the scale. These can be played with A blues alone.
| Chord | Notes |
|---|---|
| Am | A C E |
| Adim | A C Eb |
| Am7 | A C E G |
| Asus4 | A D E |
| C | C E G |
| Cm | C Eb G |
| Csus2 | C D G |
| Cmaj6 | C E G A |
| Cm6 | C Eb G A |
| Dsus2 | D E A |
| Dsus4 | D G A |
| Gsus2 | G A D |
| Gsus4 | G C D |
More scales on A
Blues scale in other keys
Frequently asked questions
What notes are in the A blues scale?
The A blues scale contains A, C, D, Eb, E, G, then returns to A an octave higher.
What is the blue note in A blues?
Eb, between the 4th (D) and the 5th (E).
What chords does the A blues scale work over?
A 12-bar blues in A: A7, D7, E7. It also fits A minor chords.
What is the step pattern of the blues scale?
It follows the pattern W+H – W – H – H – W+H – W, where W is a whole step (two semitones), H is a half step (one semitone) and W+H is three semitones.