8-Bar Blues Progression in B Major for Banjo

The B Major scale on banjo: the 8-Bar Blues progression in its chords, with tab you can play along to in the interactive lesson.

Notes: B C# D# E F# G# A#

Tuning: Standard (G D G B D)

Scale

Scale shapes

3NPS - First Position

D|--9--11--13--14--16-|
B|--9--11--13---------|
G|--9--11--13---------|
D|-11--12--14---------|
G|-13--14--16---------|

Basic Chords

Chords

DegreeChordNotesFingering (low to high)
IBB D# F#x x x 0 4
IBB D# F#x 1 4 0 4
IBB D# F#x 4 4 0 1
IBB D# F#x 1 4 4 4
IIC#mC# E G#11 11 9 9 11
IIID#mD# F# A#13 13 11 11 13
IVEE G# B9 9 9 9 9
VF#F# A# C#11 11 11 11 11
VIG#mG# B D#6 6 4 4 6
VIIA#dimA# C# Ex x x 2 2
VIIA#dimA# C# Ex x 3 2 2
VIIA#dimA# C# Ex 2 3 2 2
VIIA#dimA# C# Ex 2 3 2 x

8-Bar Blues (I–V–IV–IV–I–V–I–V)

Chords: B – F# – E – E – B – F# – B – F#

D|4-------4---4-------4---4-------4---4-------4---4-------4---4---|11------------------14--18--11------------------14--18--11------|
B|0---4-------0---4-------0---4-------0---4-------0---4-------0---|11----------12--14----------11----------12--14----------11------|
G|----------------------------------------------------------------|11------13------------------11------13------------------11------|
D|----------------------------------------------------------------|11--14----------------------11--14----------------------11--14--|
G|----------------------------------------------------------------|11--------------------------11--------------------------11------|

D|9-------------------13--16--9-------------------13--16--9-------|9-------------------13--16--9-------------------13--16--9-------|
B|9-----------11--12----------9-----------11--12----------9-------|9-----------11--12----------9-----------11--12----------9-------|
G|9-------11------------------9-------11------------------9-------|9-------11------------------9-------11------------------9-------|
D|9---13----------------------9---13----------------------9---13--|9---13----------------------9---13----------------------9---13--|
G|9---------------------------9---------------------------9-------|9---------------------------9---------------------------9-------|

D|4-------4---4-------4---4-------4---4-------4---4-------4---4---|11------------------14--18--11------------------14--18--11------|
B|0---4-------0---4-------0---4-------0---4-------0---4-------0---|11----------12--14----------11----------12--14----------11------|
G|----------------------------------------------------------------|11------13------------------11------13------------------11------|
D|----------------------------------------------------------------|11--14----------------------11--14----------------------11--14--|
G|----------------------------------------------------------------|11--------------------------11--------------------------11------|

D|4-------4---4-------4---4-------4---4-------4---4-------4---4---|11------------------14--18--11------------------14--18--11------|
B|0---4-------0---4-------0---4-------0---4-------0---4-------0---|11----------12--14----------11----------12--14----------11------|
G|----------------------------------------------------------------|11------13------------------11------13------------------11------|
D|----------------------------------------------------------------|11--14----------------------11--14----------------------11--14--|
G|----------------------------------------------------------------|11--------------------------11--------------------------11------|

Seventh Chords

Chords

DegreeChordNotesFingering (low to high)
IBmaj7B D# F# A#x 1 3 0 1
IBmaj7B D# F# A#x 1 3 0 x
IBmaj7B D# F# A#x x 3 0 1
IBmaj7B D# F# A#x 1 3 0 4
IIC#m7C# E G# Bx 2 1 0 2
IIC#m7C# E G# Bx 2 1 0 x
IIC#m7C# E G# Bx x 1 0 2
IIC#m7C# E G# Bx 2 4 2 2
IIID#m7D# F# A# C#x 1 3 2 1
IIID#m7D# F# A# C#x 1 3 2 x
IIID#m7D# F# A# C#x x 3 2 1
IIID#m7D# F# A# C#x 1 3 2 4
IVEmaj7E G# B D#x x 1 0 1
IVEmaj7E G# B D#x 1 1 0 1
IVEmaj7E G# B D#x 1 1 0 x
IVEmaj7E G# B D#x 2 1 0 1
VF#7F# A# C# Ex x 3 2 2
VF#7F# A# C# Ex 2 3 2 2
VF#7F# A# C# Ex 2 3 2 x
VF#7F# A# C# Ex 4 3 2 2
VIG#m7G# B D# F#x x 1 0 4
VIG#m7G# B D# F#x 1 1 0 4
VIG#m7G# B D# F#x 1 4 0 4
VIG#m7G# B D# F#x 4 1 0 1
VIIA#m7b5A# C# E G#x 2 1 2 2
VIIA#m7b5A# C# E G#x 2 1 2 x
VIIA#m7b5A# C# E G#x x 1 2 2
VIIA#m7b5A# C# E G#6 2 1 2 2

8-Bar Blues (I–V–IV–IV–I–V–I–V)

Chords: Bmaj7 – F#7 – Emaj7 – Emaj7 – Bmaj7 – F#7 – Bmaj7 – F#7

D|1-----------4---6---1-----------4---6---1-----------4---6---1---|2-----------6---8---2-----------6---8---2-----------6---8---2---|
B|0---0---4-----------0---0---4-----------0---0---4-----------0---|2-------5-----------2-------5-----------2-------5-----------2---|
G|3-------------------3-------------------3-------------------3---|3---6---------------3---6---------------3---6---------------3---|
D|1-------------------1-------------------1-------------------1---|----------------------------------------------------------------|
G|----------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------|

D|1-----------4---6---1-----------4---6---1-----------4---6---1---|1-----------4---6---1-----------4---6---1-----------4---6---1---|
B|0---0---4-----------0---0---4-----------0---0---4-----------0---|0---0---4-----------0---0---4-----------0---0---4-----------0---|
G|1-------------------1-------------------1-------------------1---|1-------------------1-------------------1-------------------1---|
D|----------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------|
G|----------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------|

D|1-----------4---6---1-----------4---6---1-----------4---6---1---|2-----------6---8---2-----------6---8---2-----------6---8---2---|
B|0---0---4-----------0---0---4-----------0---0---4-----------0---|2-------5-----------2-------5-----------2-------5-----------2---|
G|3-------------------3-------------------3-------------------3---|3---6---------------3---6---------------3---6---------------3---|
D|1-------------------1-------------------1-------------------1---|----------------------------------------------------------------|
G|----------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------|

D|1-----------4---6---1-----------4---6---1-----------4---6---1---|2-----------6---8---2-----------6---8---2-----------6---8---2---|
B|0---0---4-----------0---0---4-----------0---0---4-----------0---|2-------5-----------2-------5-----------2-------5-----------2---|
G|3-------------------3-------------------3-------------------3---|3---6---------------3---6---------------3---6---------------3---|
D|1-------------------1-------------------1-------------------1---|----------------------------------------------------------------|
G|----------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------|

Ninth Chords

Chords

DegreeChordNotesFingering (low to high)
IBmaj9B D# F# A# C#x 1 3 2 x
IBmaj9B D# F# A# C#x x 3 2 1
IBmaj9B D# F# A# C#x x 4 2 1
IBmaj9B D# F# A# C#x 1 3 2 4
IIC#m9C# E G# B D#x x 1 0 1
IIC#m9C# E G# B D#x 1 1 0 x
IIC#m9C# E G# B D#x 2 1 0 1
IIC#m9C# E G# B D#x 1 1 0 2
IIID#m7b9D# F# A# C# Ex 1 3 2 2
IIID#m7b9D# F# A# C# Ex 2 3 2 1
IIID#m7b9D# F# A# C# Ex x 3 2 2
IIID#m7b9D# F# A# C# Ex 2 3 2 x
IVEmaj9E G# B D# F#x x 1 0 4
IVEmaj9E G# B D# F#x 1 1 0 4
IVEmaj9E G# B D# F#x 4 1 0 1
IVEmaj9E G# B D# F#x 4 1 0 x
VF#9F# A# C# E G#x 2 1 2 x
VF#9F# A# C# E G#x x 1 2 2
VF#9F# A# C# E G#x 4 1 2 2
VF#9F# A# C# E G#x 4 1 2 x
VIG#m9G# B D# F# A#x 1 3 0 x
VIG#m9G# B D# F# A#x x 3 0 1
VIG#m9G# B D# F# A#x 1 3 0 4
VIG#m9G# B D# F# A#x 4 3 0 1
VIIA#m7b5b9A# C# E G# Bx 2 1 0 x
VIIA#m7b5b9A# C# E G# Bx x 1 0 2
VIIA#m7b5b9A# C# E G# Bx x 3 0 2
VIIA#m7b5b9A# C# E G# Bx 2 3 0 x

8-Bar Blues (I–V–IV–IV–I–V–I–V)

Chords: Bmaj9 – F#9 – Emaj9 – Emaj9 – Bmaj9 – F#9 – Bmaj9 – F#9

D|--------------------4---8-----------------------4---8-----------|--------------------6-----------------------6-------------------|
B|2-----------2---4-----------2-----------2---4-----------2-------|2-----------4---5-------2-----------4---5-------2-----------4---|
G|3-------3-------------------3-------3-------------------3-------|1---1---4---------------1---1---4---------------1---1---4-------|
D|1---4-----------------------1---4-----------------------1---4---|2-----------------------2-----------------------2---------------|
G|----------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------|

D|4-----------4---6---4-----------4---6---4-----------4---6---4---|4-----------4---6---4-----------4---6---4-----------4---6---4---|
B|0---0---4-----------0---0---4-----------0---0---4-----------0---|0---0---4-----------0---0---4-----------0---0---4-----------0---|
G|1-------------------1-------------------1-------------------1---|1-------------------1-------------------1-------------------1---|
D|----------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------|
G|----------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------|

D|--------------------4---8-----------------------4---8-----------|--------------------6-----------------------6-------------------|
B|2-----------2---4-----------2-----------2---4-----------2-------|2-----------4---5-------2-----------4---5-------2-----------4---|
G|3-------3-------------------3-------3-------------------3-------|1---1---4---------------1---1---4---------------1---1---4-------|
D|1---4-----------------------1---4-----------------------1---4---|2-----------------------2-----------------------2---------------|
G|----------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------|

D|--------------------4---8-----------------------4---8-----------|--------------------6-----------------------6-------------------|
B|2-----------2---4-----------2-----------2---4-----------2-------|2-----------4---5-------2-----------4---5-------2-----------4---|
G|3-------3-------------------3-------3-------------------3-------|1---1---4---------------1---1---4---------------1---1---4-------|
D|1---4-----------------------1---4-----------------------1---4---|2-----------------------2-----------------------2---------------|
G|----------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------|

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