B Blues Scale on Piano

The B Blues scale sounds gritty and vocal. It runs B – D – E – F – F# – A and is written with one sharp.

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

Interval Circle

W+HWHHW+HWCC#Db3D#E4Fb5F#5GG#Ab7A#B1

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)

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

Left Hand (ascending)

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

Why this fingering

One black key (F#) sits in this scale, and the thumb has to avoid it. In the right hand the thumb crosses under onto F; 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 B Blues

NoteIntervalRH FingerLH Finger
BB4Root (1)13
DD5Minor 3rd (b3)22
EE5Perfect 4th (4)31
FF5Tritone (b5)14
F#F#5Perfect 5th (5)23
AA5Minor 7th (b7)32
BB5Octave (8)41

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

Other B Scales

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