C Blues

C Blues scale for guitar.
The C Blues scale is a six-note scale. In the fingerboard diagrams the notes in the scale are marked out with blue circles (root notes in darker color). The scale is displayed in a two-octave pattern and in the five main fingerboard positions.

2 octaves

C blues scale diagram

Shape 1 (8th position)

C blues scale shape diagram 8th pos

Shape 2 (10th position)

C blues scale shape diagram 10th pos

Shape 3 (1st position)

C blues scale shape diagram 1st pos

Shape 4 (3rd position)

C blues scale shape diagram 3rd pos

Shape 5 (5th position)

C blues scale shape diagram 5th pos

Scale with extension

C blues scale extended diagram
Notes: C - Eb - F - Gb - G - Bb Intervals: 3 - 2 - 1 - 1 - 3 - 2 Type: Hexatonic

The scale and its scale degrees.

Formula Notes
1 C
b3 Eb
4 F
b5 Gb
5 G
b7 Bb

Compared to the corresponding Major scale, three notes are flatted, including the additional chromatic b5 note.

The notes in the scale can be described as steps on the guitar fingerboard according to the following formula: whole and a half, whole, half, half, whole and a half, whole from the first note to the same in the next octave.
The C Blues scale contains all the notes in the C Pentatonic Minor plus a flatted fifth, the so-called blue note. Due to the close relationship to Cm Pentatonic, the scale is also referred to as Cm Pentatonic Blues or C Minor Blues.

Related to this scale is the C Major Blues scale or C Pentatonic Major Blues scale. It can be displayed as follows:

Formula Notes Intervals
1 C Unison
2 D Major second
b3 Eb Minor third
3 E Major third
5 G Perfect fifth
6 A Sixth

The C Pentatonic Major Blues scale is identical with the C Pentatonic Major, but with an added b3.

Notice that the C Pentatonic Minor Blues scale is identical with the C Pentatonic Minor scale except for the passing note (b5).
The "Extended" diagram shows a way to expand the scale pattern with shape one merged with parts of two adjacent shapes.

Start the audio and play along! Use notes from the scale in the diagram above.

Normal tempo:
Slow tempo:

Go to Jam Tracks section for more guitar jam tracks!

C Pentatonic Minor Blues scale first shape ascending.

C Pentatonic Minor Blues scale tab

The numbers above the tablature are suggested fingerings.

This scale is covered by the Blues string bending series.