G# Major Blues Guitar Scale
Guitar scale in 7-string tuning — fretboard diagram
G# Major Blues in 7-string — Notes and Intervals
The G# Major Blues scale is an extension of the major pentatonic that adds a blue note for extra soul. On Guitar, the notes are G#, A#, B, C, D#, F. It blends the happy character of major keys with the expressive, vocal-like slides of the blues, and is a staple in country, swing, and jazz-blues contexts. Commonly used in Blues, Country, Jazz, Swing, Southern Rock. Notable players include B.B. King, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Albert King. Use over major and dominant 7th chords in blues, country, and swing contexts. Mix with minor blues for complete blues vocabulary.
Notes: G#, A#, B, C, D#, F
Intervals: 1P, 2M, 3m, 3M, 5P, 6M
Degrees: 1 2 b3 4 5 6
Formula: W-H-H-WH-W-WH
Number of notes: 6
Tuning: 7-string (B-E-A-D-G-B-E)
About 7-string Tuning
The 7-string guitar adds a low B string below the standard 6-string tuning (B-E-A-D-G-B-E), extending the instrument's range into bass territory. This extra low end has become essential in progressive metal, djent, and modern heavy music, enabling crushing low-end riffs while maintaining access to standard guitar voicings on the upper strings.
Pioneered by jazz guitarist George Van Eps and later brought into the metal mainstream by Steve Vai and Korn, the 7-string guitar has become a staple of modern heavy music. Players like Tosin Abasi, Misha Mansoor, and John Petrucci have pushed the instrument's capabilities into new territory, using the extended range for complex harmonic progressions, polyrhythmic riffs, and sweeping arpeggios that span an enormous tonal range.
Notable artists: Dream Theater, Periphery, Animals as Leaders, Korn, Meshuggah
Best for: Progressive metal riffs, extended-range chord voicings, djent rhythms, and jazz fusion harmony
Musical Character
Adds a 'blue note' (b3) to the major pentatonic, creating a brief clash between major and minor that gives the blues its characteristic sweet-and-sour emotional pull.
Chord Progressions Using This Scale
- I – ♭VII – IV (Classic Rock Loop)Pop / Rock — Energy & Drive
- ♭VII – IV – I (Gospel Walk-Up)Blues — Spiritual & Uplifting