E Blues Scale (E G A B♭ B D)
E blues is E G A B♭ B D. The ♭5 sits at the A string's first fret, the cheapest blue note on the instrument. A century of Delta and Chicago playing runs through these six notes.
Fretboard diagram
Every E 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 | E |
| ♭3 | minor third | G |
| 4 | perfect fourth | A |
| ♭5 | flatted fifth | B♭ |
| 5 | perfect fifth | B |
| ♭7 | minor seventh | D |
Where to land
A lead that never touches its root is an exercise. In the first twelve frets E sits on the low E string open and at fret 12, the A string at fret 7, the D string at fret 2, the G string at fret 9, the B string at fret 5, and the high E string open and at fret 12. End phrases on one of them until it's automatic, then start aiming for whichever chord tone the band is sitting on instead.
The B♭ is the exception to every landing rule. Bend into it, slide through it, resolve it to the B a half step up or keep falling to the fourth. Treat it as a note you visit, and keep ending phrases on E, the way every blues record you own already does.
Keep exploring
Same root
Same notes
E minor pentatonic is this scale without the ♭5.
Chords it fits over
E7 for a blues, Em and Em7 for everything darker.
Nearby keys
E blues FAQ
What notes are in the E blues scale?
E blues contains E, G, A, B♭, B, and D. That's the root, the minor third, the perfect fourth, the flatted fifth, the perfect fifth, and the minor seventh.
What fret does E blues start on?
At the nut. The open low E string is a root, and the scale covers the whole neck from there. Everything repeats twelve frets higher.
What is the blue note in the E blues scale?
B♭, 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.