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B♭ blues major scale on guitar
B♭ blues major contains B♭, C, D♭, D, F, and G. Its root sits on string 6, fret 6, making Box 2 the fastest path up the neck.
How it is built
Formula 1, 2, ♭3, 3, 5, 6
How do you play the B♭ blues major scale on guitar?
B♭ blues major in box 1 runs from fret 1 to fret 4, 12 notes across 6 strings, from F on the low E string at fret 1 up to G on the high e string at fret 3. The root falls on the A string at fret 1 and the G string at fret 3.
Every note in this box, string by string
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 1, 3 | F, G |
| 5 (A) | 1, 3, 4 | B♭, C, D♭ |
| 4 (D) | 3 | F |
| 3 (G) | 3 | B♭ |
| 2 (B) | 1, 2, 3 | C, D♭, D |
| 1 (e) | 1, 3 | F, G |
Box 2 · frets 3–6
B♭ blues major in box 2 runs from fret 3 to fret 6, 14 notes across 6 strings, from G on the low E string at fret 3 up to B♭ on the high e string at fret 6. The root falls on the low E string at fret 6, the G string at fret 3 and the high e string at fret 6.
Every note in this box, string by string
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 3, 6 | G, B♭ |
| 5 (A) | 3, 4, 5 | C, D♭, D |
| 4 (D) | 3, 5 | F, G |
| 3 (G) | 3, 5, 6 | B♭, C, D♭ |
| 2 (B) | 3, 6 | D, F |
| 1 (e) | 3, 6 | G, B♭ |
Box 3 · frets 6–9
B♭ blues major in box 3 runs from fret 6 to fret 9, 12 notes across 6 strings, from B♭ on the low E string at fret 6 up to D♭ on the high e string at fret 9. The root falls on the low E string at fret 6, the D string at fret 8 and the high e string at fret 6.
Every note in this box, string by string
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 6, 8, 9 | B♭, C, D♭ |
| 5 (A) | 8 | F |
| 4 (D) | 8 | B♭ |
| 3 (G) | 6, 7 | D♭, D |
| 2 (B) | 6, 8 | F, G |
| 1 (e) | 6, 8, 9 | B♭, C, D♭ |
Box 4 · frets 8–11
B♭ blues major in box 4 runs from fret 8 to fret 11, 14 notes across 6 strings, from C on the low E string at fret 8 up to D on the high e string at fret 10. The root falls on the D string at fret 8 and the B string at fret 11.
Every note in this box, string by string
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 8, 9, 10 | C, D♭, D |
| 5 (A) | 8, 10 | F, G |
| 4 (D) | 8, 10, 11 | B♭, C, D♭ |
| 3 (G) | 10 | F |
| 2 (B) | 8, 11 | G, B♭ |
| 1 (e) | 8, 9, 10 | C, D♭, D |
Box 5 · frets 10–13
B♭ blues major in box 5 runs from fret 10 to fret 13, 13 notes across 6 strings, from D on the low E string at fret 10 up to F on the high e string at fret 13. The root falls on the A string at fret 13 and the B string at fret 11.
Every note in this box, string by string
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 10, 13 | D, F |
| 5 (A) | 10, 13 | G, B♭ |
| 4 (D) | 10, 11, 12 | C, D♭, D |
| 3 (G) | 10, 12 | F, G |
| 2 (B) | 11, 13 | B♭, C |
| 1 (e) | 10, 13 | D, F |
Why it sounds like that
B♭ blues major adds D♭ to B♭ major pentatonic, producing a minor 3rd against B♭ and a minor 2nd against C. The major 3rd D remains, so D♭ and D clash a semitone apart. D♭ and G form a diminished 5th, the scale's only tritone.
When to use it
B♭ blues major fits B♭ major and B♭ minor chords, covering both thirds. It also works over C 5th and F 5th for horn-like lines. Use it in B♭ blues and swing tunes.
Which position to practise
Learn Box 2 first. The root sits on string 6, fret 6, and the pattern covers frets 3–6.
Common questions
What notes are in B♭ blues major?
B♭ blues major contains B♭, C, D♭, D, F, and G. The scale has both a minor and major 3rd. It is a six-note blues scale. It is also spelled A♯ in enharmonic notation for the same sounding root.
Which chords fit B♭ blues major?
B♭ blues major fits B♭ major and B♭ minor chords. It also works over C 5th and F 5th. The scale contains the chord tones of those harmonies.
How does B♭ blues major differ from B♭ major pentatonic?
B♭ blues major adds D♭ to B♭ major pentatonic. The added note creates a minor 3rd against B♭ and a minor 2nd against C. This gives the scale its blues colour.