E Blues

E Blues scale for guitar.
The E 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

E blues scale diagram

Shape 1 (open position)

E blues scale shape diagram open pos

Shape 2 (2nd position)

E blues scale shape diagram 2nd pos

Shape 3 (5th position)

E blues scale shape diagram 5th pos

Shape 4 (7th position)

E blues scale shape diagram 7th pos

Shape 5 (9th position)

E blues scale shape diagram 9th pos

Scale with extension

E blues scale extended diagram
Notes: E - G - A - Bb - B - D Intervals: 3 - 2 - 1 - 1 - 3 - 2 Type: Hexatonic

The scale and its scale degrees.

Formula Notes
1 E
b3 G
4 A
b5 Bb
5 B
b7 D

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 E Blues scale contains all the notes in the E Pentatonic Minor plus a flatted fifth, the so-called blue note. Due to the close relationship to Em Pentatonic, the scale is also referred to as Em Pentatonic Blues or E Minor Blues.

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

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

Formula Notes Intervals
1 E Unison
2 F# Major second
b3 G Minor third
3 G# Major third
5 B Perfect fifth
6 C# Sixth

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

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

Normal tempo:
Slow tempo:

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E Pentatonic Minor Blues scale first shape ascending.

E Pentatonic Minor Blues scale tab

The numbers above the tablature are suggested fingerings (zero means open string).