A Blues Scale on Piano

The A Blues scale sounds gritty and vocal. It runs A – C – D – Eb – E – G and is written with one flat.

It shares its key signature with C major, its relative major.

Interval Circle

W+HWHHW+HWCb3DbD4Ebb5E5FGbGb7AbA1BbB

All twelve semitones, root at the top. Filled dots are the notes of the scale, the outer numbers are their degrees, and W / H mark the whole and half steps between them.

About This Scale

The minor pentatonic with a chromatic passing note squeezed between the 4th and the 5th. That blue note is a decoration, not a destination — it works best slid through on the way somewhere else.

Fingering

Right Hand (ascending)

1-2-3-4-1-2-3

Left Hand (ascending)

5-4-3-2-1-2-1

Why this fingering

One black key (Eb) sits in this scale, and the thumb has to avoid it. In the right hand the thumb crosses under onto E; let the elbow drift slightly outward as it passes rather than twisting the wrist.

The blue dots on the piano below show which keys to press — they turn green when you play the right note.

Notes in A Blues

NoteIntervalRH FingerLH Finger
AA4Root (1)15
CC5Minor 3rd (b3)24
DD5Perfect 4th (4)33
EbEb5Tritone (b5)42
EE5Perfect 5th (5)11
GG5Minor 7th (b7)22
AA5Octave (8)31

Other Blues Scales

C Blues
C – Eb – F – Gb – G – Bb
C# Blues
C# – E – F# – G – G# – B
D Blues
D – F – G – Ab – A – C
Eb Blues
Eb – Gb – Ab – A – Bb – Db
E Blues
E – G – A – Bb – B – D
F Blues
F – Ab – Bb – B – C – Eb
F# Blues
F# – A – B – C – C# – E
G Blues
G – Bb – C – Db – D – F
G# Blues
G# – B – C# – D – D# – F#
Bb Blues
Bb – Db – Eb – E – F – Ab
B Blues
B – D – E – F – F# – A

Other A Scales

A Major
A – B – C# – D – E – F# – G#
A Natural Minor
A – B – C – D – E – F – G
A Harmonic Minor
A – B – C – D – E – F – G#
A Melodic Minor
A – B – C – D – E – F# – G#
A Major Pentatonic
A – B – C# – E – F#
A Minor Pentatonic
A – C – D – E – G
A Dorian
A – B – C – D – E – F# – G
A Mixolydian
A – B – C# – D – E – F# – G
A Chromatic
A – A# – B – C – C# – D – D# – E – F – F# – G – G#