C
root
tonic landing note.
Overview
C Blues
C Blues uses the notes C, D♯, F, F♯, G, and A♯. It is the minor pentatonic sound plus the flat fifth blue note.
Quick reference
- Formula
- 1 - b3 - 4 - b5 - 5 - b7
- Key center
- C minor
- Collection
- 6-note blues
Notes
Notes in C Blues
C Blues laid out by interval role.
1
D♯
minor third
minor color tone.
F
perfect fourth
suspended pull above the third.
F♯
diminished fifth
blue-note tension.
G
perfect fifth
stable support tone.
A♯
minor seventh
open minor or blues ending.
Playing ideas
How to use C Blues
Best over I7-IV7-V7 blues harmony and minor-blues riffs.
Use the flat fifth as tension between the fourth and fifth, not as a long resting note.
Compare it with C Minor Pentatonic to hear what the blue note adds.
Positions
Practicing C Blues across the neck
Use the Blues view to learn one box at a time, then mark where the flat fifth sits between the fourth and fifth inside that shape.
Then switch to Full Neck to find the next box and practice resolving that blue note as you move between positions.
Chords and key
Chords that fit C Blues
Typical chords behind blues and minor-blues phrasing.
I7C 7
Tonic dominant chord for classic blues phrasing.
Explore next
Related scales and comparisons
Compare closely related scales, chords, and key-center ideas.
Compare nearby scales
Connect the scale to chords
I7 • C 7
Tonic dominant chord for classic blues phrasing.
IV7 • F 7
Subdominant dominant chord from the same blues loop.
V7 • G 7
Dominant turnaround chord from the same blues loop.
i7 • C minor 7
Minor-7 option when the groove leans darker.
C chords
Compare common major, minor, 7, and suspended chords on the same root.
C scales
Compare every supported C scale family in one place.
Use these sounds elsewhere
Quick answers