E Minor Blues Guitar Scale — Drop B

Guitar scale in Drop B tuning — fretboard diagram

E Minor Blues in Drop B — Notes and Intervals

The E Minor Blues scale is the definitive scale of the blues tradition. On Guitar, it contains the notes E, G, A, Bb, B, D. By adding a chromatic tension note to the minor pentatonic, it creates the dirty and expressive grit associated with Chicago and Delta blues, essential for any player looking to add emotional bite to their solos. Commonly used in Blues, Rock, Jazz, R&B. Notable players include Stevie Ray Vaughan, Albert King, Eric Clapton, Buddy Guy. Use over minor chords and dominant 7th chords in blues. The b5 is a passing tone — linger on it for tension, resolve to 4 or 5.

Notes: E, G, A, Bb, B, D

Intervals: 1P, 3m, 4P, 5d, 5P, 7m

Degrees: 1 b2 3 4 5 b6

Formula: WH-W-H-H-WH-W

Number of notes: 6

Tuning: Drop B (B-F#-B-E-G#-C#)

Also known as: blues

About Drop B Tuning

Drop B tuning (B-F#-B-E-G#-C#) takes the guitar into territory traditionally reserved for 7-string instruments, delivering a subsonic heaviness that you can feel in your chest. This tuning has become essential in modern extreme metal, deathcore, and djent, where low-end clarity and rhythmic precision are paramount.

Drop B represents the practical limit of what a standard 6-string guitar can handle before tone quality degrades. With the right string gauge (12-60 or heavier) and proper setup, it delivers the crushing lows of a 7-string while keeping the familiar 6-string layout. Bands like Architects, Periphery (on some tracks), and Parkway Drive have used Drop B to create some of the heaviest riffs in modern metal.

DeathcoreDjentProgressive MetalExtreme MetalMetalcore

Notable artists: Architects, Parkway Drive, Whitechapel, Born of Osiris, Emmure

Best for: Extreme metal riffs, deathcore breakdowns, djent chugs, and any style demanding the lowest possible 6-string tuning

Explore This Scale in Other Tunings

← All Guitar scales in Drop B tuning