Guitar scale reference
F 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 F
- F · A♭ · B♭ · C♭ · C · E♭
F 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|----------------------------------------1--4--1----------------------------------------| B|-------------------------------0--1--4-----------4--1--0-------------------------------| G|----------------------1--3--4-----------------------------4--3--1----------------------| D|----------------1--3-----------------------------------------------3--1----------------| A|-------1--2--3-----------------------------------------------------------3--2--1-------| E|-1--4-----------------------------------------------------------------------------4--1-|
Position 2 · D shape · frets 2–6
Ascending and descending tab
e|-------------------------------------4--6--4-------------------------------------| B|-------------------------------4--6-----------6--4-------------------------------| G|----------------------3--4--5-----------------------5--4--3----------------------| D|----------------3--6-----------------------------------------6--3----------------| A|-------2--3--6-----------------------------------------------------6--3--2-------| E|-4--6-----------------------------------------------------------------------6--4-|
Position 3 · C shape · frets 4–8
Ascending and descending tab
e|----------------------------------------4--6--7--8--7--6--4----------------------------------------| B|----------------------------------4--6-----------------------6--4----------------------------------| G|-------------------------4--5--8-----------------------------------8--5--4-------------------------| D|-------------------6--8-----------------------------------------------------8--6-------------------| A|-------------6--8-----------------------------------------------------------------8--6-------------| E|-4--6--7--8-----------------------------------------------------------------------------8--7--6--4-|
Position 4 · A shape · frets 7–11
Ascending and descending tab
e|-------------------------------------7--8-11--8--7-------------------------------------| B|-------------------------------9-11----------------11--9-------------------------------| G|-------------------------8-10----------------------------10--8-------------------------| D|----------------8--9-10----------------------------------------10--9--8----------------| A|----------8-11----------------------------------------------------------11--8----------| E|-7--8-11----------------------------------------------------------------------11--8--7-|
Position 5 · G shape · frets 9–13
Ascending and descending tab
e|---------------------------------------11-13-11----------------------------------------| B|----------------------------9-11-12-13----------13-12-11--9----------------------------| G|---------------------10-13----------------------------------13-10----------------------| D|-------------9-10-13----------------------------------------------13-10--9-------------| A|------11-13----------------------------------------------------------------13-11-------| E|11-13----------------------------------------------------------------------------13-11-|
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