E Blues Scale
The E blues scale contains E – G – A – Bb – B – D. It is E minor pentatonic plus one added note, the blue note Bb, between the 4th and 5th. It is also called the minor blues scale.
E 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.
E blues vs E minor pentatonic
| Degree | 1 | b3 | 4 | b5 | 5 | b7 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pentatonic | E | G | A | – | B | D |
| Blues | E | G | A | Bb | B | D |
The blue note is the only addition. It is a passing note, a half step from both A and B: slide through it on the way between them rather than resting on it.
What E 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 E uses three dominant 7th chords, E7, A7 and B7, and this one scale works over all of them. Its minor 3rd, G, clashes on purpose with the G# in E7, and that rub is the blues sound.
Notes and intervals
| Note | Degree | Interval from E | Semitones |
|---|---|---|---|
| E | 1 | root | 0 |
| G | b3 | minor 3rd | 3 |
| A | 4 | perfect 4th | 5 |
| Bb | b5 | diminished 5th | 6 |
| B | 5 | perfect 5th | 7 |
| D | 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. E minor has 1 sharp: F#, and the blue note Bb falls outside it, so it always takes an accidental. See the key of E 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 E blues alone.
| Chord | Notes |
|---|---|
| Em | E G B |
| Edim | E G Bb |
| Em7 | E G B D |
| Esus4 | E A B |
| G | G B D |
| Gm | G Bb D |
| Gsus2 | G A D |
| Gmaj6 | G B D E |
| Gm6 | G Bb D E |
| Asus2 | A B E |
| Asus4 | A D E |
| Dsus2 | D E A |
| Dsus4 | D G A |
More scales on E
Blues scale in other keys
Frequently asked questions
What notes are in the E blues scale?
The E blues scale contains E, G, A, Bb, B, D, then returns to E an octave higher.
What is the blue note in E blues?
Bb, between the 4th (A) and the 5th (B).
What chords does the E blues scale work over?
A 12-bar blues in E: E7, A7, B7. It also fits E 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.