Box 1 frets 4-7
Tab, going up
e|-------------------------4-7-| B|---------------------4-7-----| G|---------------4-6-7---------| D|-----------4-6---------------| A|-----4-5-6-------------------| E|-4-7-------------------------|
G♯ Blues Scale on Guitar
G♯ B C♯ D D♯ F♯ 1 b3 4 b5 5 b7 5 boxes Box 1 at frets 4-7
Scale diagrams
How to play the G♯ Blues scale on guitar
The blues scale is the minor pentatonic plus one note: the flat five, or blue note, between the 4th and the 5th. Played as a passing note rather than a resting place, it gives blues and rock solos their grit. On the guitar it falls into 5 boxes. Box 1 starts on the root, frets 4-7. The root G♯ is at fret 4 on the low E string and fret 11 on the A string.
Box 2 frets 6-9
Tab, going up
e|-----------------------7-9-| B|-------------------7-9-----| G|-------------6-7-8---------| D|---------6-9---------------| A|-----6-9-------------------| E|-7-9-----------------------|
Box 3 frets 8-12
Tab, going up
e|--------------------------------9-10-11-| B|---------------------------9-12---------| G|----------------------8-11--------------| D|--------------9-11-12-------------------| A|---------9-11---------------------------| E|-9-10-11--------------------------------|
Box 4 frets 11-14
Tab, going up
e|----------------------------------11-14-| B|----------------------------12-14-------| G|----------------------11-13-------------| D|-------------11-12-13-------------------| A|-------11-14----------------------------| E|-11-14----------------------------------|
Box 5 frets 13-16
Tab, going up
e|----------------------------------14-16-| B|-------------------------14-15-16-------| G|-------------------13-16----------------| D|-------------13-16----------------------| A|-------14-16----------------------------| E|-14-16----------------------------------|
Strings from the low E (left) to the high E (right), frets numbered on the left. Magenta dots are the root, G♯. The tab under each diagram plays the position from its lowest note to its highest; play it back down the same way.
Whole neck
Every G♯ Blues note up to the 15th fret
The boxes above are slices of this map. They overlap: the highest notes of one are the lowest notes of the next, so once you know two neighbours you can slide from one to the other along a string.
Notes
What notes are in the G♯ Blues scale?
6 notes: G♯ B C♯ D D♯ F♯. In whole (W) and half (H) steps: W+H W H H W+H W. The half steps are where the scale gets its colour.
| Note | Degree | Interval from the root | Half steps | Fret on the low E string |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| G♯ | 1 | Root | 0 | 4 |
| B | b3 | Minor 3rd | 3 | 7 |
| C♯ | 4 | Perfect 4th | 5 | 9 |
| D | b5 | Diminished 5th | 6 | 10 |
| D♯ | 5 | Perfect 5th | 7 | 11 |
| F♯ | b7 | Minor 7th | 10 | 2 |
Practice
How to use and practise it
Take a minor pentatonic box you already know and add the flat five where it falls. Slide through it, 4 to flat five to 5, instead of stopping on it.
The minor pentatonic is the same scale without the flat five. Compare the two: G♯ minor pentatonic.
Set the tempo low, play each position up and down with the button above, then try it yourself at the same speed. Raise the tempo by 4 BPM only when it is clean.
Questions
Frequently asked
What notes are in the G♯ Blues scale?
Going up: G♯, B, C♯, D, D♯, F♯, then G♯ an octave higher. Its formula is 1 b3 4 b5 5 b7.
How do you play the G♯ Blues scale on guitar?
Start with box 1, frets 4-7: the root G♯ is under your finger 1 on the low E string. Play two notes on each string (three where the blue note falls), from the low E to the high E, then back down. The diagrams and tabs on this page show all 5 boxes.
Where is G♯ on the guitar?
On the low E string at fret 4, on the A string at fret 11. Those two root notes anchor most scale positions and barre chords.
What is the difference between the blues and the minor pentatonic scale?
The minor pentatonic is the same scale without the flat five.
Keep playing
Loop a groove, then solo in G♯ Blues
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