Major blues scale in C
Major blues scale in C: C, D, Eb, E, G and A, the degrees 1–2–b3–3–5–6. Major pentatonic plus a passing b3: the smiling side of the blues, the same notes as the relative minor blues.
It's the major pentatonic — five bright, upbeat notes — with a passing minor 3rd, in other words a note that doesn't ask to stay: it just slides on its way to the major 3rd right next door. That meeting of minor and major 3rd is the heart of the blues language, giving the sound a smile with a melancholy wink. A useful twist: these are exactly the same notes as the minor blues scale, started from a different point — the same relationship a major key shares with its relative minor.
Example: C – D – Eb – E – G – AFormula: 1 – 2 – b3 – 3 – 5 – 6In the formula, the numbers are degrees — positions counted in the reference major scale; "b" lowers a half step and "#" raises one.
Family: Blues scales.
The simultaneous or alternating minor and major third is fundamental to the language. Expression, bends and micro-tuning weigh as much as the collection of notes.
The same scale on all four instruments
In the diagrams, each dot carries its scale degree — 1 is the tonic, highlighted.