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C blues scale

The C blues scale has 6 notes: C – E♭ – F – G♭ – G – B♭. It sounds like a minor pentatonic with the “blue note” that gives it its gritty color. It adds the diminished fifth to the minor pentatonic; it's used for blues, rock, jazz and funk solos.

  • NotesC – E♭ – F – G♭ – G – B♭
  • FormulaT½ – T – S – S – T½ – T
  • Notes per octave6 notes
  • ParallelC major

C blues scale on piano

CFGCE♭G♭B♭

C blues scale on guitar

123456789101112EFG♭GB♭CE♭AB♭CE♭FG♭GDE♭FG♭GB♭CGGB♭CE♭FG♭GBCE♭FG♭GB♭EFG♭GB♭CE♭

All the notes of the scale from fret 0 to 12, with the tonic (C) highlighted in color. Strings run from the 1st (top) to the 6th (bottom), as in tablature.

Degrees and intervals

DegreeNoteInterval from the tonic
1Croot
♭3E♭minor third
4Fperfect fourth
♭5G♭diminished fifth
5Gperfect fifth
♭7B♭minor seventh

From one note to the next, the scale moves like this: T½ – T – S – S – T½ – T (T = whole step, S = half step, T½ = step and a half). That pattern is the same in every key: once you learn it, you can build the blues scale from any note.

How to practice this scale

  • Play it slowly with a metronome, one note per beat, and only speed up once it sounds even.
  • Sing the note names while you play it: that way you train your ear and your memory at the same time.
  • On guitar, learn it in “boxes”: five positions that repeat along the neck. Start with the one that has the tonic on the 6th string.
  • Improvise over a backing track or a single chord: with these notes almost nothing sounds “wrong”, so it's ideal for losing your fear.

Frequently asked questions

What are the notes of the C blues scale?

The C blues scale has 6 notes: C – E♭ – F – G♭ – G – B♭. Its formula is T½ – T – S – S – T½ – T (T = whole step, S = half step, T½ = one and a half steps).

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