G♯ Blues Scale (G♯ B C♯ D D♯ F♯)
G♯ blues is G♯ B C♯ D D♯ F♯, the blue note landing on plain D. B-family rock borrows it when things need grit.
Fretboard diagram
Every G♯ 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 | G♯ |
| ♭3 | minor third | B |
| 4 | perfect fourth | C♯ |
| ♭5 | flatted fifth | D |
| 5 | perfect fifth | D♯ |
| ♭7 | minor seventh | F♯ |
Where to land
A lead that never touches its root is an exercise. In the first twelve frets G♯ sits on the low E string at fret 4, the A string at fret 11, the D string at fret 6, the G string at fret 1, the B string at fret 9, and the high E string at fret 4. End phrases on one of them until it's automatic, then start aiming for whichever chord tone the band is sitting on instead.
The D is the exception to every landing rule. Bend into it, slide through it, resolve it to the D♯ a half step up or keep falling to the fourth. Treat it as a note you visit, and keep ending phrases on G♯, the way every blues record you own already does.
Keep exploring
Same root
Same notes
G♯ minor pentatonic is this scale without the ♭5.
Chords it fits over
A♭7 for a blues, A♭m and A♭m7 for everything darker.
Nearby keys
G♯ blues FAQ
What notes are in the G♯ blues scale?
G♯ blues contains G♯, B, C♯, D, D♯, and F♯. That's the root, the minor third, the perfect fourth, the flatted fifth, the perfect fifth, and the minor seventh.
What fret does G♯ blues start on?
The lowest root is G♯ at fret 4 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 G♯ blues scale?
D, 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.