C Pentatonic Blues Guitar Scale – How to Play it

Welcome! This is the beginning of our journey towards pentatonic blues guitar scales. First up is the C pentatonic blues scale.

Just to give you a basic explanation (a more in-depth one coming in the near future) standard pentatonic scales typically have 5 distinct notes while pentatonic blues scales have 6 notes. The one extra note is called the “blue note”. This note serves the purpose of giving the “blues” feel as you play the scale.

So let’s begin. Remember that the root note of this scale is C. The blue note here is F#.

Here’s the figure.

And here’s the tab.

To play this first pattern, you basically start on the 3rd fret of A5 string giving you the C note.  Then progress your way to the last note which is still a C on the 1st fret of the B2 string giving you a higher tone.

Now let’s try another pattern here. Below you will see a much more challenging pentatonic blues scale pattern because obviously it covers 5 frets in which you will need some reaching through with your pinkie finger. I strongly encourage you to use your pinkie finger so you can build the strength and flexibility for it.

Here’s the figure.

And here’s the tab.

You will still start at the C note on the 8th fret of E6 string. But this time you will be playing two sets of this pentatonic blues scale until you reach the last note – still C but two octaves higher. So in the end you get to hear C sounds three times.

If you want to learn more you can visit all-guitar-chords.com and get the full pattern for the C pentatonic blues scale (click here).

(Images by http://www.all-guitar-chords.com/)