E Blues Scale on Piano

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

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

Interval Circle

W+HWHHW+HWCDbDb7EbE1FGbGb3AbA4Bbb5B5

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 (Bb) sits in this scale, and the thumb has to avoid it. In the right hand the thumb crosses under onto B; 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 E Blues

NoteIntervalRH FingerLH Finger
EE4Root (1)15
GG4Minor 3rd (b3)24
AA4Perfect 4th (4)33
BbBb4Tritone (b5)42
BB4Perfect 5th (5)11
DD5Minor 7th (b7)22
EE5Octave (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
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
B Blues
B – D – E – F – F# – A

Other E Scales

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