Scales & Modes
A Blues
Neck DiagramMinor pentatonic plus the flat fifth 'blue note'.
How it sounds, and where to use it
Often described as bluesy: works over major and minor chords.
How usual it sounds: nearly side by side on the circle of fifths: familiar, with a touch of color. (2 gaps round the circle of fifths. See its shape.)
Solo with it over:AmAm7Am7♭5AdimAsus4A7sus4
Chords on A made only from this scale's notes, so every note of the scale sits safely over them.
Formula: W+H-W-H-H-W+H-W · Arpeggios in A Blues
Relative major blues: C Major Blues (same notes, from the ♭3) · Parallel major blues: A Major Blues (same root, three notes raised)
| Step | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Note | A | C | D | E♭ | E | G |
| Degree | 1 | ♭3 | 4 | ♭5 | 5 | ♭7 |
| Interval | P1 | m3 | P4 | TT | P5 | m7 |
Degree and Interval are the same thing written two ways: how far each note is from the root (♭3 and m3 here). See them all on the Intervals page → Click either one in the table to open that interval.
Modes
Two octaves across; each mode starts one scale degree later and is numbered from its own root. ▶ plays a mode.
The same notes, started from each degree: the degrees against major, the steps between them, and the notes.
| # | Degrees and steps | Notes | Name(s) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| I | 1♭34♭55♭78W+HWHHW+HW | A C D E♭ E G A | Blues | |
| II | 12♭33568WHHW+HWW+H | C D E♭ E G A C | Major Blues | |
| III | 1♭2245♭78HHW+HWW+HW | D E♭ E G A C D | Pyrimic | |
| IV | 1♭23♭5678HW+HWW+HWH | E♭ F♭ G A C D E♭ | Lydimic | |
| V | 1♭34♭6♭778W+HWW+HWHH | E G A C D D♯ E | Mixolimic | |
| VI | 1245♭668WW+HWHHW+H | G A C D D♯ E G | Dadimic |
Nobody has found a A Blues track yet. The root drone on the Every 7-note scale page works for any scale meanwhile.
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For more on modes, check out
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