Scale guide
The minor pentatonic with one extra, gritty note.
The A minor blues scale is A minor pentatonic plus one note: E♭, the lowered fifth. Guitarists call it the blue note. It sits between the fourth and fifth and gives the scale its tension and vocal quality.
Full neck · start position
A minor blues
Every occurrence of the scale is marked; the start position is labelled so you can begin without hunting. Root notes are brass.
Strings top to bottom: E A D G B e · swipe the neck sideways
What is A minor blues?
The notes are A C D E♭ E G. The E♭ is the only difference from A minor pentatonic (A C D E G). That one note is why the scale sounds bluesy rather than simply minor.
The notes are A · C · D · E♭ · E · G. The formula is 1 – ♭3 – 4 – ♭5 – 5 – ♭7.
The start position
Start with the same Box 1 shape as A minor pentatonic, then add E♭. The root A sits on the low E and high e strings at fret 5, and on the D string at fret 7.
The labelled notes in the highlighted window are the ones to learn first. The unlabelled dots elsewhere on the neck are the same notes in other positions; ignore them until the start position is automatic.
How to practise
- Play A minor pentatonic first, then add E♭ and hear the difference.
- Play the scale ascending and stop on E♭; hold it and listen to the tension.
- Resolve E♭ to E or to A; do not end a phrase on the blue note every time.
- Play a slow 12-bar blues in A and use two or three notes, not the whole scale.
- Keep the bend in mind: E♭ is often approached by bending from D or released into E.
Where it fits
Use it over A minor blues, A7, and rock or blues vamps in A. It also works over C major, but the blue note is a passing colour, not a note to land on for a whole bar.
Pair it with the chord progression guide and the tuning guide. If a note sounds wrong before you blame the scale, check that the guitar is in tune.
What to do next
Play the start position for five minutes a day. When you can find the root notes without counting, move the same shape to another fret and name the new key. Use the fretboard note quiz to connect the notes to the neck.
Frequently asked questions
What notes are in A minor blues?
A, C, D, E♭, E and G. The formula is 1–♭3–4–♭5–5–♭7.
How is it different from A minor pentatonic?
It adds E♭, the lowered fifth. That is the only extra note; the other five notes are the same as A minor pentatonic.
What chord does it fit?
Start with Am or A7, especially in a blues. Over a major chord, treat E♭ as a passing tone rather than a note to sit on.
Is the blue note always a flat fifth?
Usually. On some roots it is written as a raised fourth because a flat fifth would need a double flat; it is the same pitch.