The G Blues scale scale contains the notes G, A#, C, C#, D, F. With 6 notes and the formula 1½–W–H–H–1½–W, it is one of the 6-note scales in this series. This page gives you the notes, the whole-and-half-step formula, how to play it on guitar, piano and ukulele, and the chords and keys it fits over.
What notes are in the G Blues scale?
The G Blues scale contains 6 notes: G, A#, C, C#, D, F. Those notes are fixed — play a different set and you are playing a different scale. The scale starts on G and returns to G an octave higher, passing through every note in the list above in order.
| Degree | Note | Semitones from root |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | G | 0 |
| 2 | A# | 3 |
| 3 | C | 5 |
| 4 | C# | 6 |
| 5 | D | 7 |
| 6 | F | 10 |
The formula of the G Blues scale is 1½–W–H–H–1½–W, where W is a whole step (two semitones) and H is a half step (one semitone). Follow that pattern from G and you get exactly the notes above, in order. The intervals from the root are 0, 3, 5, 6, 7, 10 semitones. Practise saying the formula out loud while you play the scale, so the pattern and the notes join up in your memory.
The G Blues scale sounds gritty, soulful and unmistakable — the flattened 5th is the blue note that gives the scale its name. That character comes from the intervals, especially the notes that differ from the major scale — those are the notes that give the blues scale its colour.
How to play it
On the guitar, anchor the G Blues scale on the root G, which sits at fret 3 on the low E string. Play the scale across the strings from that root, one note per fret position where the pattern allows, and learn where the other G notes sit — on the A string, the D string and higher up the neck — so you can move the pattern to any position. The pattern is the same shape in every key; only the starting fret changes, which is why learning the G Blues scale as a shape plus a root note is more useful than learning it as a list of frets.
On the low E string of the guitar, the notes of the G Blues scale fall at G at fret 3, A# at fret 6, C at fret 8, C# at fret 9, D at fret 10, F at fret 1. On the C string of the ukulele they fall at G at fret 7, A# at fret 10, C at fret 0, C# at fret 1, D at fret 2, F at fret 5. Those fret numbers are worth learning, because they let you find any note of the G Blues scale on a single string without working out the pattern: pick a string, count to the fret, and the note is there. Practise playing the scale up one string only, from the low root to the high root, and then play it across the strings as a pattern — the two ways of playing it teach different things, and both are useful.
On the piano, play the G Blues scale with the notes G, A#, C, C#, D, F in order, ascending and then descending. The black keys are A#, C#, so let your longer fingers take those keys and use the thumb to turn under on the white keys. Practise hands separately first, then together, at a slow tempo, and say each note name as you play it — that is what turns the G Blues scale from a finger exercise into knowledge you can use.
On the ukulele, anchor the G Blues scale on the root G, which sits at fret 7 on the C string. Play the scale across the four strings from that anchor, keeping the pattern close to the root position first, then try the same notes an octave higher. Use the Guitar Scale Finder, the Piano Scale Finder and the Ukulele Scale Finder to see the G Blues scale on each instrument while you practise, and the Scale Finder to compare it with other scales.
How to use the Blues scale
The G Blues scale is the scale of the 12-bar blues, used for solos over dominant 7th chords. Its home is the key of G minor, and the chords built from its notes are A#m. Those chords are the ones the scale fits over most naturally: play the scale over any of them and every note belongs, because the chords are made from the scale itself. Start by soloing over the tonic chord — the chord built on G — and then try the scale over the other chords in the list, listening to how each chord changes which notes of the scale sound settled and which sound tense.
Its closest relative is the minor pentatonic, which it extends by one note, the flattened 5th. That comparison is the fastest way to hear what makes the G Blues scale different: play both scales back to back from the same root and listen for the note or notes that change. In practice, use the G Blues scale where its character fits the music — blues colour over the chords listed above — and switch to its relatives when the mood needs to change. The Chord to Key Finder will tell you which key a set of chords belongs to, which is the practical way to choose between the G Blues scale and its relatives in a real song.
Related scales
The scales most closely related to the G Blues scale are G Major scale, G Natural minor scale, G Harmonic minor scale, C Blues scale, C# Blues scale. The first group shares the root G and changes the type, so you can hear how the same starting note produces a different colour. The second group keeps the blues type and moves it to a different root, so you can hear the same colour at a different pitch. The parallel scale — G major scale — starts on the same root G but is the opposite mode, and comparing the two is the classic way to learn what major and minor really mean. Work through the related scales one at a time, playing each from the same root, and the differences between them will become audible rather than theoretical.
Frequently asked questions
Which chords fit over the G Blues scale?
The chords built from the scale itself fit best: A#m. Because those chords use only notes from the scale, every note of the G Blues scale belongs over them. Start with the tonic chord built on G and work through the list.
Which key does the G Blues scale belong to?
Its home is the key of G minor. That key uses the same notes as the scale, so the scale and the key fit together exactly. The G Blues scale is the scale you play when you are soloing or writing in that key.
How is the G Blues scale different from the G major scale?
It differs by the notes that are not shared. Compare the two scales note by note from the same root G and the differing notes are the ones that give the blues scale its character. The related-scales section above links both scales so you can compare them directly.
Is the G Blues scale hard to learn?
It has 6 notes, which is a manageable size, and the formula 1½–W–H–H–1½–W gives you a pattern to follow rather than a list to memorise. Learn it on one instrument first — guitar, piano or ukulele — play it up and down slowly, and then try it over the tonic chord built on G.
What notes are in the G Blues scale?
The G Blues scale contains G, A#, C, C#, D, F. Those 6 notes, in that order, are the whole scale — start on G, play through the list, and return to G an octave higher.