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