G Major Blues Guitar Scale — 8-string
Guitar scale in 8-string tuning — fretboard diagram
G Major Blues in 8-string — Notes and Intervals
The G Major Blues scale is an extension of the major pentatonic that adds a blue note for extra soul. On Guitar, the notes are G, A, Bb, B, D, E. It blends the happy character of major keys with the expressive, vocal-like slides of the blues, and is a staple in country, swing, and jazz-blues contexts. Commonly used in Blues, Country, Jazz, Swing, Southern Rock. Notable players include B.B. King, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Albert King. Use over major and dominant 7th chords in blues, country, and swing contexts. Mix with minor blues for complete blues vocabulary.
Notes: G, A, Bb, B, D, E
Intervals: 1P, 2M, 3m, 3M, 5P, 6M
Degrees: 1 2 b3 4 5 6
Formula: W-H-H-WH-W-WH
Number of notes: 6
Tuning: 8-string (F#-B-E-A-D-G-B-E)
About 8-string Tuning
The 8-string guitar adds both a low B and a low F# string (F#-B-E-A-D-G-B-E), pushing the instrument's range almost into bass guitar territory. This massive tonal range has become the weapon of choice for djent, progressive metal, and experimental composers who need bone-crushing low-end and soaring highs in a single instrument.
With artists like Tosin Abasi, Meshuggah, and After the Burial leading the charge, the 8-string guitar has redefined what's possible in modern heavy music. The low F# string delivers subsonic heaviness that you can feel in your chest, while the upper strings maintain standard guitar voicings for leads and clean passages. Extended-range compositions often exploit the full span of the instrument, creating a wall of sound that covers bass, rhythm, and lead guitar roles simultaneously.
Notable artists: Meshuggah, Animals as Leaders, After the Burial, Intervals, Monuments
Best for: Djent polyrhythms, extended-range metal riffs, experimental compositions, and one-instrument arrangements spanning bass to lead
Explore This Scale in Other Tunings
- G Major Blues in Standard Tuning
- G Major Blues in Drop D
- G Major Blues in DADGAD
- G Major Blues in Open G
- G Major Blues in Baritone (B Standard)
- G Major Blues in 7-string
- G Major Blues in Drop C
- G Major Blues in Drop B
- G Major Blues in Open D
- G Major Blues in Half Step Down
- G Major Blues in Open E
- G Major Blues in Open A
- G Major Blues in Double Drop D
- G Major Blues in Open C