Blues Scale
A six-note scale derived from the minor pentatonic with an added flattened fifth, central to blues and rock music.
Category
scales
Pronunciation
/bluːz skeɪl/
Origin
English (descriptive)
Length
220 words · 2 min read
About Blues Scale
The blues scale takes the five notes of the minor pentatonic scale and adds a chromatic passing note — the flattened fifth (or sharp fourth), often called the blue note. In C, the scale runs C, E-flat, F, G-flat, G, B-flat.
More scales terms
Octatonic Scale
View all scalesterms →An eight-note scale built from alternating whole tones and semitones, widely used in late Romantic and modern music.
Melodic Minor ScaleA minor scale that raises both the sixth and seventh degrees when ascending, then reverts to natural minor when descending.
Bebop ScaleA jazz scale that adds one chromatic passing note to a standard seven-note scale, ensuring chord tones fall on strong beats.
Pentatonic ScaleA five-note scale found in musical traditions worldwide
Natural Minor ScaleThe basic minor scale using only the notes of its key signature, without any raised sixth or seventh degrees.
Synonyms
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v1 · 10/04/2026Browse all terms →