Interactive piano keyboard showing E Blues scale degrees. Click highlighted keys to play.
The E blues scale (E, G, A, B♭, B, D) is the most iconic blues guitar scale — its open-position voicings on the low strings produce the deepest, most powerful blues tones possible. The blue note B♭ adds the crying quality that defines electric blues lead playing. From B.B. King to Stevie Ray Vaughan, E blues is the sound of the electric guitar.
Adding the flat 5th (the “blue note”) to minor pentatonic creates the characteristic tension-and-release of blues improvisation. This tritone is the single interval that gives the blues scale its soulful, crying quality.
The diatonic chords in E Blues are: Em, Gm, Am, A#, Bm, Daug. These are the chords built naturally from each degree of the scale.
What is the Blues?
The E blues scale (E, G, A, B♭, B, D) is the most iconic blues guitar scale — its open-position voicings on the low strings produce the deepest, most powerful blues tones possible. The blue note B♭ adds the crying quality that defines electric blues lead playing. From B.B. King to Stevie Ray Vaughan, E blues is the sound of the electric guitar.
What notes are in the E Blues?
The E Blues contains the notes: E, G, A, A#, B, D. This is a 6-note scale starting from E.
How many chords does the E Blues have?
The E Blues produces 6 diatonic chords, one built on each degree of the scale: Em, Gm, Am, A#, Bm, Daug.
What is the formula for the Blues?
The Blues follows the interval formula: W+H-W-H-H-W+H-W (W = whole step, H = half step).
Page detail levelSimple keeps pages short: extra theory and advanced controls stay tucked away until you open them. Everything shows every section and control at once.
Position in circle of fifths
E is at the 4 o'clock position. Related keys: B (dominant), A (subdominant), C# (relative minor), F# (supertonic), D (subtonic).