F♯ Blues Scale (F#)
The F# blues scale contains F# – A – B – C – C# – E. It is F# minor pentatonic plus one added note, the blue note C, between the 4th and 5th. It is also called the minor blues scale.
F# blues scale chart
Pentatonic and blues scales have no standard book fingering, so none is shown here. Pick fingers that keep your thumb off the black keys.
F# blues vs F# minor pentatonic
| Degree | 1 | b3 | 4 | b5 | 5 | b7 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pentatonic | F# | A | B | – | C# | E |
| Blues | F# | A | B | C | C# | E |
The blue note is the only addition. It is a passing note, a half step from both B and C#: slide through it on the way between them rather than resting on it.
What F# blues is used for
It is the sound of blues soloing, and of a lot of rock and jazz too. A 12-bar blues in F# uses three dominant 7th chords, F#7, B7 and C#7, and this one scale works over all of them. Its minor 3rd, A, clashes on purpose with the A# in F#7, and that rub is the blues sound.
Notes and intervals
| Note | Degree | Interval from F# | Semitones |
|---|---|---|---|
| F# | 1 | root | 0 |
| A | b3 | minor 3rd | 3 |
| B | 4 | perfect 4th | 5 |
| C | b5 | diminished 5th | 6 |
| C# | 5 | perfect 5th | 7 |
| E | b7 | minor 7th | 10 |
Step pattern
The blues scale is built from the pattern W+H – W – H – H – W+H – W (W = whole step, H = half step, W+H = three semitones). Apply that pattern from any starting note and you get the same scale in a different key.
Key signature and accidentals
Blues is normally written with accidentals over the key signature of the piece. F# minor has 3 sharps: F#, C# and G#, and the blue note C falls outside it, so it always takes an accidental. See the key of F# minor for the chords of the minor key.
Chords using only these notes
The dominant 7th chords of a blues are not in this list because they contain notes outside the scale. These can be played with F# blues alone.
| Chord | Notes |
|---|---|
| F#m | F# A C# |
| F#dim | F# A C |
| F#m7 | F# A C# E |
| F#sus4 | F# B C# |
| A | A C# E |
| Am | A C E |
| Asus2 | A B E |
| Amaj6 | A C# E F# |
| Am6 | A C E F# |
| Bsus2 | B C# F# |
| Bsus4 | B E F# |
| Esus2 | E F# B |
| Esus4 | E A B |
More scales on F#
Blues scale in other keys
Frequently asked questions
What notes are in the F# blues scale?
The F# blues scale contains F#, A, B, C, C#, E, then returns to F# an octave higher.
What is the blue note in F# blues?
C, between the 4th (B) and the 5th (C#).
What chords does the F# blues scale work over?
A 12-bar blues in F#: F#7, B7, C#7. It also fits F# minor chords.
What is the step pattern of the blues scale?
It follows the pattern W+H – W – H – H – W+H – W, where W is a whole step (two semitones), H is a half step (one semitone) and W+H is three semitones.