B Minor Blues Guitar Scale
Guitar scale in 8-string tuning — fretboard diagram
B Minor Blues in 8-string — Notes and Intervals
The B Minor Blues scale is the definitive scale of the blues tradition. On Guitar, it contains the notes B, D, E, F, F#, A. By adding a chromatic tension note to the minor pentatonic, it creates the dirty and expressive grit associated with Chicago and Delta blues, essential for any player looking to add emotional bite to their solos. Commonly used in Blues, Rock, Jazz, R&B. Notable players include Stevie Ray Vaughan, Albert King, Eric Clapton, Buddy Guy. Use over minor chords and dominant 7th chords in blues. The b5 is a passing tone — linger on it for tension, resolve to 4 or 5.
Notes: B, D, E, F, F#, A
Intervals: 1P, 3m, 4P, 5d, 5P, 7m
Degrees: 1 b2 3 4 5 b6
Formula: WH-W-H-H-WH-W
Number of notes: 6
Tuning: 8-string (F#-B-E-A-D-G-B-E)
Also known as: blues
About 8-string Tuning
The 8-string guitar adds both a low B and a low F# string (F#-B-E-A-D-G-B-E), pushing the instrument's range almost into bass guitar territory. This massive tonal range has become the weapon of choice for djent, progressive metal, and experimental composers who need bone-crushing low-end and soaring highs in a single instrument.
With artists like Tosin Abasi, Meshuggah, and After the Burial leading the charge, the 8-string guitar has redefined what's possible in modern heavy music. The low F# string delivers subsonic heaviness that you can feel in your chest, while the upper strings maintain standard guitar voicings for leads and clean passages. Extended-range compositions often exploit the full span of the instrument, creating a wall of sound that covers bass, rhythm, and lead guitar roles simultaneously.
Notable artists: Meshuggah, Animals as Leaders, After the Burial, Intervals, Monuments
Best for: Djent polyrhythms, extended-range metal riffs, experimental compositions, and one-instrument arrangements spanning bass to lead
Musical Character
The b5 'blue note' between the 4th and 5th creates the most expressive chromatic passage in blues. Bending from b5 to 5 is the single most iconic sound in guitar music.
Chord Progressions Using This Scale
- I – IV – V (Rock & Folk Classic)Pop / Rock — Energy & Drive
- bVI – bVII – I (Mario Cadence)World / Game Music — Triumph & Victory
- I – I – I – I – IV – IV – I – I – V – IV – I – V (12 Bar Blues)Blues — Grit & Soul
- i – iv – i – V (Minor Blues)Blues — Melancholy
- I – bVI – bIII – bVII (Epic Borrowed Chords)Contemporary / Film — Epic & Heroic