Guitar scale reference
E 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 E
- E · G · A · B♭ · B · D
E 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 0–4
Ascending and descending tab
e|----------------------------------------0--3--0----------------------------------------| B|----------------------------------0--3-----------3--0----------------------------------| G|----------------------0--2--3--4-----------------------4--3--2--0----------------------| D|----------------0--2-----------------------------------------------2--0----------------| A|-------0--1--2-----------------------------------------------------------2--1--0-------| E|-0--3-----------------------------------------------------------------------------3--0-|
Position 2 · D shape · frets 1–5
Ascending and descending tab
e|-------------------------------------3--5--3-------------------------------------| B|-------------------------------3--5-----------5--3-------------------------------| G|----------------------2--3--4-----------------------4--3--2----------------------| D|----------------2--5-----------------------------------------5--2----------------| A|-------1--2--5-----------------------------------------------------5--2--1-------| E|-3--5-----------------------------------------------------------------------5--3-|
Position 3 · C shape · frets 3–7
Ascending and descending tab
e|----------------------------------------3--5--6--7--6--5--3----------------------------------------| B|----------------------------------3--5-----------------------5--3----------------------------------| G|-------------------------3--4--7-----------------------------------7--4--3-------------------------| D|-------------------5--7-----------------------------------------------------7--5-------------------| A|-------------5--7-----------------------------------------------------------------7--5-------------| E|-3--5--6--7-----------------------------------------------------------------------------7--6--5--3-|
Position 4 · A shape · frets 6–10
Ascending and descending tab
e|-------------------------------------6--7-10--7--6-------------------------------------| B|-------------------------------8-10----------------10--8-------------------------------| G|-------------------------7--9-----------------------------9--7-------------------------| D|----------------7--8--9-----------------------------------------9--8--7----------------| A|----------7-10----------------------------------------------------------10--7----------| E|-6--7-10----------------------------------------------------------------------10--7--6-|
Position 5 · G shape · frets 8–12
Ascending and descending tab
e|---------------------------------------10-12-10----------------------------------------| B|----------------------------8-10-11-12----------12-11-10--8----------------------------| G|----------------------9-12----------------------------------12--9----------------------| D|-------------8--9-12----------------------------------------------12--9--8-------------| A|------10-12----------------------------------------------------------------12-10-------| E|10-12----------------------------------------------------------------------------12-10-|
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.
Use the guitar scale practice guide to turn the diagram into a recall, connection and phrasing routine.
If the interval formula or five-position layout is new, begin with the beginner guitar scale guide.
Open the scale randomiser