C blues scale
Pentatonic6 notes · E♭ + G♭ + B♭
Cblues
KeyboardRight hand · 1 = thumb
Fingering guideOne octave · both hands
| Hand | C | E♭ | F | G♭ | G | B♭ | C |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Right hand | 1 | 2 | 1thumb under | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| Left hand | 3 | 2 | 1 | 44 over | 3 | 2 | 1 |
Chords in the key
Chords are built by stacking every other note of a seven-note scale. Blues has 6, so try the natural minor scale for its chords.
How to read a scale
Steps, degrees, fingers.
The step pattern
Every scale is a pattern of whole and half steps. C blues goes W+H–W–H–H–W+H–W: the step and a halfs between C and E♭, and between G and B♭ give it its colour.
The degrees
Number the notes from the root: 1 C, ♭3 E♭, 4 F, ♭5 G♭, 5 G, ♭7 B♭. The degrees stay the same in every key, so a pattern learned in C works in any other.
The fingering
Right hand: the thumb tucks under onto F. Left hand: finger 4 crosses over onto G♭. Practise the crossings slowly; once they're smooth, raise the tempo.
All 216 scales
Every scale and mode on every root, each with its own page.
C
D♭
D
E♭
E
F
G♭
G
A♭
A
B♭
Practise it on a real keyboard.
Plug in a MIDI keyboard: the Melodio app shows every scale with its fingering and chords, and names what you play. Free, offline.
Windows · macOS · Linux