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Scale · 6 notes

A♯ Blues Scale

A♯ Blues is a 6-note scale with the notes A♯ C♯ D♯ E E♯ G♯. It sounds the minor pentatonic plus the ♭5 "blue note", gritty and expressive.

EE♯C♯D♯G♯A♯

Purple = A♯ (the tonic) · green = other scale notes

On the fretboard

Every A♯ blues note on the neck. Pick a pattern to see the compact fingering shape that fits under one hand.

EADGBe135791215EE♯G♯A♯C♯D♯EE♯A♯C♯D♯EE♯G♯A♯D♯EE♯G♯A♯C♯D♯EE♯G♯A♯C♯D♯EE♯G♯A♯C♯D♯EE♯G♯A♯C♯EE♯G♯A♯C♯D♯EE♯

Blue = A♯ (the root) · green = other scale notes

Notes in the A♯ Blues scale

DegreeNote
1A♯
♭3C♯
4D♯
♭5E
5E♯
♭7G♯

Each note uses a different letter name (apart from the blue note, which shares a letter with the fifth), so the spelling follows the scale rather than the keyboard: A♯ C♯ D♯ E E♯ G♯.

A♯ Blues scale formula

The pattern of steps from one note to the next is W+H – W – H – H – W+H – W (W = whole step, H = half step, W+H = a step of three semitones). Compared with the major scale the degrees are 1 ♭3 4 ♭5 5 ♭7.

Related scales

How to practise the A♯ Blues scale

Play it over a 12-bar blues in the same key. Lean on the flat fifth (the blue note) as a passing tone rather than a landing note.

Frequently asked questions

What are the notes in the A♯ Blues scale?

The notes of the A♯ Blues scale are A♯ C♯ D♯ E E♯ G♯.

What is the formula for the A♯ Blues scale?

The pattern of whole and half steps is W+H – W – H – H – W+H – W (W = whole step, H = half step). In scale degrees: 1 ♭3 4 ♭5 5 ♭7.

More A♯ scales

A♯ Natural Minor, A♯ Phrygian, A♯ Locrian, A♯ Minor Pentatonic, A♯ Altered, A♯ Locrian ♯2

Explore the full scales library, find a scale from notes with the scale finder, or see every chord in every key in the chord chart.