B Blues Scale (B D E F F♯ A)
B blues is B D E F F♯ A, B minor pentatonic with one extra note per octave. The ♭5 comes out a plain F in a sharp key.
Fretboard diagram
Every B blues note from the open strings to fret 22. At fret 12 the map starts over an octave up.
Notes in this scale
| Symbol | Interval | Note |
|---|---|---|
| R | root | B |
| ♭3 | minor third | D |
| 4 | perfect fourth | E |
| ♭5 | flatted fifth | F |
| 5 | perfect fifth | F♯ |
| ♭7 | minor seventh | A |
Where to land
A lead that never touches its root is an exercise. In the first twelve frets B sits on the low E string at fret 7, the A string at fret 2, the D string at fret 9, the G string at fret 4, the B string open and at fret 12, and the high E string at fret 7. End phrases on one of them until it's automatic, then start aiming for whichever chord tone the band is sitting on instead.
The F is the exception to every landing rule. Bend into it, slide through it, resolve it to the F♯ a half step up or keep falling to the fourth. Treat it as a note you visit, and keep ending phrases on B, the way every blues record you own already does.
Keep exploring
Same root
Same notes
B minor pentatonic is this scale without the ♭5.
Chords it fits over
B7 for a blues, Bm and Bm7 for everything darker.
Nearby keys
B blues FAQ
What notes are in the B blues scale?
B blues contains B, D, E, F, F♯, and A. That's the root, the minor third, the perfect fourth, the flatted fifth, the perfect fifth, and the minor seventh.
What fret does B blues start on?
The lowest root is B at fret 7 on the low E string, and most players anchor there. The scale itself covers the whole neck, and everything repeats twelve frets higher.
What is the blue note in the B blues scale?
F, the flatted fifth. It sits one fret below the perfect fifth and one above the fourth. It works as a passing note, bent into or slid through, and resolves cleanly to either neighbor.