Guitar scale reference
Blues scale on guitar: five CAGED positions
The blues scale adds a flattened 5th to minor pentatonic. That chromatic tone works best as motion and tension rather than a resting point, giving familiar pentatonic shapes a sharper expressive edge.
What gives the scale its sound
Hear the flattened 5th in relation to both the 4th and 5th. Sliding or bending through that three-note area reveals its function more clearly than treating all six notes equally.
- Interval formula
- 1 · ♭3 · 4 · ♭5 · 5 · ♭7
- Notes in C
- C · E♭ · F · G♭ · G · B♭
C Blues across the neck
The five views overlap. Root notes are highlighted; use interval labels first, then confirm the spelled notes above.
Position 1 · E shape · frets 7–11
Ascending and descending tab
e|----------------------------------------8-11--8----------------------------------------| B|-------------------------------7--8-11----------11--8--7-------------------------------| G|----------------------8-10-11----------------------------11-10--8----------------------| D|----------------8-10----------------------------------------------10--8----------------| A|-------8--9-10----------------------------------------------------------10--9--8-------| E|-8-11----------------------------------------------------------------------------11--8-|
Position 2 · D shape · frets 9–13
Ascending and descending tab
e|------------------------------------11-13-11-------------------------------------| B|------------------------------11-13----------13-11-------------------------------| G|---------------------10-11-12----------------------12-11-10----------------------| D|---------------10-13----------------------------------------13-10----------------| A|-------9-10-13----------------------------------------------------13-10--9-------| E|11-13----------------------------------------------------------------------13-11-|
Position 3 · C shape · frets 11–15
Ascending and descending tab
e|---------------------------------------11-13-14-15-14-13-11----------------------------------------| B|---------------------------------11-13----------------------13-11----------------------------------| G|------------------------11-12-15----------------------------------15-12-11-------------------------| D|------------------13-15----------------------------------------------------15-13-------------------| A|------------13-15----------------------------------------------------------------15-13-------------| E|11-13-14-15----------------------------------------------------------------------------15-14-13-11-|
Position 4 · A shape · frets 14–18
Ascending and descending tab
e|------------------------------------14-15-18-15-14-------------------------------------| B|------------------------------16-18----------------18-16-------------------------------| G|------------------------15-17----------------------------17-15-------------------------| D|---------------15-16-17----------------------------------------17-16-15----------------| A|---------15-18----------------------------------------------------------18-15----------| E|14-15-18----------------------------------------------------------------------18-15-14-|
Position 5 · G shape · frets 16–20
Ascending and descending tab
e|---------------------------------------18-20-18----------------------------------------| B|---------------------------16-18-19-20----------20-19-18-16----------------------------| G|---------------------17-20----------------------------------20-17----------------------| D|------------16-17-20----------------------------------------------20-17-16-------------| A|------18-20----------------------------------------------------------------20-18-------| E|18-20----------------------------------------------------------------------------20-18-|
Practice drill
In each position, play 4–♭5–5 on every available string pair and resolve in both directions. Then improvise a short phrase that crosses one position boundary through the blue note.
Open the scale randomiser