E♭ Blues Scale
Notes in the E♭ Blues Scale
| Degree | Name | Note | Frequency (A=440) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tonic | E♭ | 311.127 Hz |
| ♭3 | Minor Mediant | G♭ | 369.994 Hz |
| 4 | Subdominant | A♭ | 415.305 Hz |
| ♯4 | Blue Note | A | 440.000 Hz |
| 5 | Dominant | B♭ | 466.164 Hz |
| ♭7 | Subtonic | D♭ | 277.183 Hz |
Interval Pattern
| Step | Interval | Semitones | From Note | To Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aug 2nd (WH) | 3 | E♭ | G♭ |
| 2 | Whole Step (W) | 2 | G♭ | A♭ |
| 3 | Half Step (H) | 1 | A♭ | A |
| 4 | Half Step (H) | 1 | A | B♭ |
| 5 | Aug 2nd (WH) | 3 | B♭ | D♭ |
| 6 | Whole Step (W) | 2 | D♭ | E♭ |
Chords Built on Scale Degrees
| Degree | Note | Chord | Quality |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | E♭ | E♭ (complex) | other |
| ♭3 | G♭ | G♭ minor | minor |
| 4 | A♭ | A♭ (complex) | other |
| ♯4 | A | A (complex) | other |
| 5 | B♭ | B♭ (complex) | other |
| ♭7 | D♭ | D♭ (complex) | other |
Key Signature
3 ♭ — The E♭ key signature uses B♭, E♭, A♭.
E♭ Blues Scale in Practice
The E♭ Blues Scale uses the key signature of 3 flats (B♭, E♭, A♭). Eb major has three flats and a rich, full sound well suited to brass instruments. It is widely used in jazz, classical music, and is the home key for Eb instruments. On guitar, E♭ positions offer comfortable transposing instrument keys for this scale.
The blues scale adds the flat 5th (blue note) to the minor pentatonic scale, creating the characteristic dissonant tension central to blues, jazz, and rock music. When played starting on E♭, the 6 notes are E♭, G♭, A♭, A, B♭, D♭. In this key the signature has 3 flats (B♭, E♭, A♭). Eb is the concert key for alto saxophone and baritone saxophone playing in their native C, and it is a staple of big band and jazz ensemble writing. Eb is heavily used in R&B, soul, and gospel music, where horn sections in Bb and Eb instruments can play without difficult transpositions.
Tuning Frequencies Across Temperaments
Frequencies shown at A=440 Hz. View full temperament data for any note.
| Note | Equal Temp. | Pythagorean | Just Intonation |
|---|---|---|---|
| E♭ | 311.127 Hz | 309.026 Hz | 313.951 Hz |
| G♭ | 369.994 Hz | 371.251 Hz | 367.911 Hz |
| A♭ | 415.305 Hz | 417.657 Hz | 418.601 Hz |
| A | 440.000 Hz | 440.000 Hz | 436.043 Hz |
| B♭ | 466.164 Hz | 463.538 Hz | 470.926 Hz |
| D♭ | 277.183 Hz | 278.437 Hz | 279.067 Hz |
Related Scales
Transposing Instruments: E♭ Blues Scale
E♭ is a natural key for B♭ instruments (trumpet, clarinet, tenor sax), which sound a major second lower than written. B♭ instruments reading in C produce E♭ concert pitch. E♭ instruments (alto sax, baritone sax) reading in E♭ sound a major sixth lower.