What the 8-bar blues progression sounds like
A shorter, rolling blues form. In E major it's E7 B7 A7 A7 E7 B7 E7 B7.
You'll find it in Blues songwriting.
Scales that fit 8-bar blues
Over this progression in E, the best-fitting scales are E Mixolydian, E Major (Ionian), E Blues. Put your own chords into the scale finder to see more.
8-bar blues in every key
| Key | Chords |
|---|---|
| C major | C7 G7 F7 F7 C7 G7 C7 G7 |
| G major | G7 D7 C7 C7 G7 D7 G7 D7 |
| D major | D7 A7 G7 G7 D7 A7 D7 A7 |
| A major | A7 E7 D7 D7 A7 E7 A7 E7 |
| E major | E7 B7 A7 A7 E7 B7 E7 B7 |
| B major | B7 F#7 E7 E7 B7 F#7 B7 F#7 |
| F# major | F#7 C#7 B7 B7 F#7 C#7 F#7 C#7 |
| Db major | Db7 Ab7 Gb7 Gb7 Db7 Ab7 Db7 Ab7 |
| Ab major | Ab7 Eb7 Db7 Db7 Ab7 Eb7 Ab7 Eb7 |
| Eb major | Eb7 Bb7 Ab7 Ab7 Eb7 Bb7 Eb7 Bb7 |
| Bb major | Bb7 F7 Eb7 Eb7 Bb7 F7 Bb7 F7 |
| F major | F7 C7 Bb7 Bb7 F7 C7 F7 C7 |
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Common questions
What are the chords in the 8-bar blues progression?
In E major the 8-bar blues progression is E7 B7 A7 A7 E7 B7 E7 B7. The pattern is the same in every key; the table above lists all 12.
What scale goes with 8-bar blues?
In E, the E Mixolydian fits best. E Major (Ionian) and E Blues add different colors.
Last updated November 14, 2026.