Blues scales (Guitar Fretboard Diagrams, Tab and Standard Notation)

Thanks for stopping by Guitar Kitchen!

This page includes:

• Full fretboard moveable blues scales (major and minor).
• Plus, a bit of theory.
• Lots of scale patterns for individual keys (in major and minor).

• Pentatonic Scales (Fretboard Diagrams, Standard and Tab Notation)
• Minor Pentatonics (6 Fretboard Diagrams for Guitar and Full Moveable Chart)
• Major Scales for Guitar (8 Fretboard Diagrams)

Relation between major and minor blues scales

How the A minor & C major Blues Scales Relate

Please check out how, for example, the C major blues scale is the same as the A minor blues scale.

Here’s an example to show you how the minor blues scales relate to the major blues scales (just like the major and minor pentatonic scales relate to each other).

Basically the A minor blues scale and a C major blues scale have the same form. The A minor blues scale starts on ‘A‘ (5th fret, 6th string). The C major blues scale starts on a ‘C‘ (3 frets higher -8th fret, 6th string).

Pentatonic + Blues Note = Blues Scale

If you play through the blues scales shown below, and then play through the different pentatonic forms, you’ll be able to hear where to put the blue note (with a little practice).

The blues scales is a pentatonic scale with the blue note added.

Here’s some more info on scales

• Major Scales for Guitar (8 Fretboard Diagrams)
• G major scales (Fretboard diagrams, Standard and Tab Notation)
• Minor Pentatonics (6 Fretboard Diagrams for Guitar)
• Pentatonic Scales (Fretboard Diagrams, Standard and Tab Notation)
• Major Pentatonics
• Scales (for Guitarists)

First Position Blues Scales

I’m listing the same fretboard diagram of the blues scale in a ton of keys so that you can see how it’s a moveable scale form.

For the major blues scale, the roots are: 6th string-4th fret, 3rd string-1st fret, 1st string-4th fret.

For the minor blues scale, the roots are: 6th string-1st fret, 4th string-3rd fret, 1st string-1st fret.

The roots are in red. And the blues notes are in green.

Major Blues Scales

The roots are in red. And the blue notes are in green.

Currently there’s only one scale pattern – I am adding more soon (hopefully by the end of November 2020)!

C Major Blues Scale

5th fret

D Major Blues Scale

7th fret
E Major Blues Scale

9th fret
F Major Blues Scale

10th fret
G Major Blues Scale

12th fret
A Major Blues Scale

2nd fret
B Major Blues Scale

4th fret
Minor Blues Scales

The roots are in red. And the blues notes are in green.

A Minor Blues Scale

B Minor Blues Scale

C#/Db Minor Blues Scale

D Minor Blues Scale

E Minor Blues Scale

F#/Gb Minor Blues Scale

G#/Ab Minor Blues Scale

Moveable Blues Scale Fretboard Diagram – (Almost) Entire Guitar!

Here’s a moveable fretboard diagram of the blues scales (both major and minor).

Since the blues scale is the pentatonic plus the blue note, this is also the scale diagram for both the pentatonic major and minor scales.

• Major Root note = Star
• Minor Root note = Triangle
• Blue Note = Diamond
• All the other notes = blue/purple squares
• Use the fretboard note locator table (see below) to pick the key of the blues scale.

How to Use the Fretboard Note Table to Find the Key of a Blues Scale on the Fretboard Diagram

1. What key do you want to play a blues scale?
2. For example, say you want to play in a G minor blues scale.
3. Look for the note G on the table below.
4. You find 6th string, 3rd fret as one instance of G.
5. Look above, to the moveable fretboard blues scale diagram.
6. Find a triangle (the “root” note of the minor blues scale) on the 6th string.
7. Now orient your scale patterns so that triangle is on the 6th string, 3rd fret of your guitar!
8. Enjoy!
9. Try singing/humming along to help get the notes/melodies of the scales in your ears.

Guitar Fretboard Note Table (up to the 15th fret)

C major/A minor Blues Scales/Notes for (almost) Entire Fretboard

This chart is for the C major blues scale and the A minor blues scale. It shows you two ways to see the entire fretboard for the major and minor blues scales.

The blues notes are in color green.

If you don’t play any of the blues notes, then you are playing a pentatonic scale, by the way.

If you want, all these scale form/patterns are moveable, so you can change key if you so desire. This is an example to show you how you can use the moveable form for specific key, in this case A minor and C major.

Here’s another fretboard diagram for the same C major and A minor blues. This also shows where the C and A minor notes are.

• Major Root note = Star
• Minor Root note = Triangle
• Blue Note = Diamond

Practice Makes Progress!

• Blues in Jazz
• Blues in G & Blues in A & Blues + bar chords
• Play what you sing, Sing what you play!
• 12 ways to improve musicality
• Minor Pentatonics (6 Fretboard Diagrams for Guitar)
• Major Scales for Guitar (8 Fretboard Diagrams)
• Major Pentatonics
• Scales

Special Thanks

To pdf2jpg.net for converting the PDF of the blues scales to an image!