Daily fretboard challenges by Fretuoso®

E blues on Guitar

E blues adds B♭ to E minor pentatonic. This lowered fifth lies between A and B and gives a tense passing color; it does not replace the stable fifth B. The spelling B♭ shows its scale function.

Scale on staff

Treble clef · Root to octave

Written notes: E4, G4, A4, B♭4, B4, D5, and E5

Swipe across the staff to see every note.

Notation details

E natural minor signature: F♯. Other alterations are marked on the notes.

The 8 below the clef indicates that Guitar sounds one octave below these written notes. This example uses an octave close to the staff for easier reading, keeping the scale’s key and canonical spelling.

Find and hear notes

Flats and sharps can name the same pitch. Staff notes keep their canonical spelling.

Scale root: E. Square markers identify it across the neck.

Tap a note to hear it. Scroll along the neck to explore frets.

Keyboard controls

Keyboard: use arrow keys to move between notes, then Enter or Space to play.

Understand the scale

The six-note blues scale adds ♭5 to minor pentatonic. The lowered fifth is a passing color between the fourth and fifth; compare both neighboring half steps and return to the root.

Each note has an interval measured from the root. The graph spaces notes by semitones (one fret each); the numbers between markers show the steps to neighboring notes. The final note is the root one octave higher.

Scale intervals from E to its octave

Semitones from the root. Steps between neighboring notes (semitones).

E — Root (unison); 0 semitones from the root. Next step: 3 semitones G — Minor third; 3 semitones from the root. Next step: 2 semitones A — Perfect fourth; 5 semitones from the root. Next step: 1 semitone B♭ — Diminished fifth; 6 semitones from the root. Next step: 1 semitone B — Perfect fifth; 7 semitones from the root. Next step: 3 semitones D — Minor seventh; 10 semitones from the root. Next step: 2 semitones E — Octave (root); 12 semitones from the root. E — Root (unison); 0 semitones from the root. Next step: 3 semitonesE1G — Minor third; 3 semitones from the root. Next step: 2 semitonesG♭3A — Perfect fourth; 5 semitones from the root. Next step: 1 semitoneA4B♭ — Diminished fifth; 6 semitones from the root. Next step: 1 semitoneB♭♭5B — Perfect fifth; 7 semitones from the root. Next step: 3 semitonesB5D — Minor seventh; 10 semitones from the root. Next step: 2 semitonesD♭7E — Octave (root); 12 semitones from the root. E8E — Root (unison); 0 semitones from the root. Next step: 3 semitones G — Minor third; 3 semitones from the root. Next step: 2 semitones A — Perfect fourth; 5 semitones from the root. Next step: 1 semitone B♭ — Diminished fifth; 6 semitones from the root. Next step: 1 semitone B — Perfect fifth; 7 semitones from the root. Next step: 3 semitones D — Minor seventh; 10 semitones from the root. Next step: 2 semitones E — Octave (root); 12 semitones from the root. E — Root (unison); 0 semitones from the root. Next step: 3 semitonesE1G — Minor third; 3 semitones from the root. Next step: 2 semitonesG♭3A — Perfect fourth; 5 semitones from the root. Next step: 1 semitoneA4B♭ — Diminished fifth; 6 semitones from the root. Next step: 1 semitoneB♭♭5B — Perfect fifth; 7 semitones from the root. Next step: 3 semitonesB5D — Minor seventh; 10 semitones from the root. Next step: 2 semitonesD♭7E — Octave (root); 12 semitones from the root. E8
Read the intervals
  1. E — Root (unison); 0 semitones from the root. Next step: 3 semitones
  2. G — Minor third; 3 semitones from the root. Next step: 2 semitones
  3. A — Perfect fourth; 5 semitones from the root. Next step: 1 semitone
  4. B♭ — Diminished fifth; 6 semitones from the root. Next step: 1 semitone
  5. B — Perfect fifth; 7 semitones from the root. Next step: 3 semitones
  6. D — Minor seventh; 10 semitones from the root. Next step: 2 semitones
  7. E — Octave (root); 12 semitones from the root.

How the fretboard repeats

Fret 12 has the same note name as the open string, one octave higher. The pattern repeats every 12 frets. Between E and F, and between B and C, there is one semitone; the other adjacent natural notes are two semitones apart.

Most neighboring strings are a perfect fourth apart. The G-to-B pair is a major third, so a shape crossing that pair shifts by one fret. The two E strings share note names at every fret, two octaves apart.

Try this

  • On the A string, compare open A at the nut, B♭ at fret 1 and B at fret 2.
  • Listen to the chromatic movement, then return to E.
  • Use the added note as a short connection while keeping E as your reference point.

Put the notes into practice

Today’s Fretuodle uses the shared theme, which may differ from this reference. Your practice here does not affect Fretuodle results.

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