The blues scale might sound like it is only used for blues, but it appears in a much wider range of guitar music. You’ll hear it in blues, rock, metal, country, funk, jazz, and soul, and it is a common choice for many lead guitar parts and solos.
In this lesson, you’ll find left-handed blues scale guitar charts for all five positions, plus diagrams for every key and a free Blues Scale PDF you can download and print.
The blues scale is very similar to the minor pentatonic scale, but with one extra note added. This extra note is often known as the blue note, and it gives the scale its distinctive sound.
For left-handed guitarists, learning these blues scale shapes will make it much easier to create bluesy bends, gritty rock licks, and lead lines with a little extra tension and attitude.
Make sure to also check out my guides to the Minor Pentatonic and Major Scales for left-handed players.
5 Blues Scale Positions For Lefties
The easiest way to learn the left-handed blues scale over the entire guitar neck is to split it up into smaller, more easily digestible shapes or patterns. I’ve shown the five different positions below. Pay special attention to the orange circles, as these are the root notes and will indicate which key you are playing in.
You’ll also notice some notes marked in blue. These are the blue notes, which are the extra notes that give the blues scale its distinctive sound.
The numbers below each diagram indicate the frets, and the string names are shown to the left.
We’ll use the A blues scale in the following example charts. The notes contained in this scale are:
A – C – D – Eb – E – G
In this key, the added Eb is the blue note.
Position 1
Position one is the best place to start, as it is based on the classic minor pentatonic box shape. It is easy to remember, comfortable to play, and one of the most commonly used blues scale positions.
Try playing short phrases inside this box, then land on one of the root notes to hear the “home” sound of A blues.
Position 2
Position two moves the scale further up the neck, connecting neatly with position one above.
The root notes are on the 4th string 7th fret, and the 2nd string 10th fret.
Position 3
Using the Blues scale, it is common to bend or slide through the flat 5 note before resolving back to one of the root notes. This is a classic blues sound and a useful way to make the blue note feel more musical.
The root notes are on the 5th string 12th fret, and the 2nd string 10th fret.
Position 4
In the key of A, position four sits higher up the neck where the frets are closer together, making it feel compact and easy to control.
The root notes are on the 5th string 12th fret, and the 3rd string 14th fret.
Position 5
Position five is the final shape and connects neatly back into position one.
The root notes are on the 6th string at the 5th fret, the 3rd string at the 2nd fret, and the 1st string at the 5th fret.
How to Connect All 5 Blues Boxes
All of these different patterns are interconnected, and note overlaps will occur between adjacent shapes.
Take a look at the diagram below to see exactly how each pattern of the A Blues Scale connects and overlaps with the next.
Think of each box as a “room.” The doors between them are the overlapping frets.
Start with Position 1 in A Blues, then gradually add the other boxes. Once you can move smoothly between them, try shifting to new keys like G blues or C blues.
All Left-Handed Blues Scale Charts
Check out all left-handed blues scale charts below, or hit the button to download all of the diagrams as a handy PDF that you can print out and keep.
Download and Print the ScalesEach chart shows the blues scale laid out for left-handed guitarists, with the root notes clearly marked in orange and the blue notes marked in blue.
Practice With Jam Tracks
Once you’ve learned a few of the blues scale shapes, try using them over a backing track. Head over to my list of guitar jam tracks, where you’ll find thousands of free tracks to practice your soloing and improvisation.
More Left-Handed Guitar Lessons
For more lefty-friendly guides, check out the left-handed guitar lessons section of the site.
Specifically, you might be interested in my guides to the Minor Pentatonic and Major Scales for left-handed players.
