Scales & Modes

Sound

F♯ Blues

Neck Diagram

Minor pentatonic plus the flat fifth 'blue note'.

How it sounds, and where to use it

Often described as bluesy: works over major and minor chords.

How usual it sounds: nearly side by side on the circle of fifths: familiar, with a touch of color. (2 gaps round the circle of fifths. See its shape.)

Solo with it over:F♯mF♯m7F♯m7♭5F♯dimF♯sus4F♯7sus4

Chords on F♯ made only from this scale's notes, so every note of the scale sits safely over them.

Open it in Note shapes

Formula: W+H-W-H-H-W+H-W · Arpeggios in F♯ Blues

Relative major blues: A Major Blues (same notes, from the ♭3) · Parallel major blues: F♯ Major Blues (same root, three notes raised)

Step123456
NoteF♯ABCC♯E
Degree1♭34♭55♭7
IntervalP1m3P4TTP5m7

Degree and Interval are the same thing written two ways: how far each note is from the root (♭3 and m3 here). See them all on the Intervals page → Click either one in the table to open that interval.

Modes

Order

Two octaves across; each mode starts one scale degree later and is numbered from its own root. ▶ plays a mode.

Blues
1
♭3
4
♭5
5
♭7
1
♭3
4
♭5
5
♭7
I
Blues
1
♭3
4
♭5
5
♭7
8
II
Major Blues
1
2
♭3
3
5
6
8
III
Pyrimic
1
♭2
2
4
5
♭7
8
IV
Lydimic
1
♭2
3
♭5
6
7
8
V
Mixolimic
1
♭3
4
♭6
♭7
7
8
VI
Dadimic
1
2
4
5
♭6
6
8

For more on modes, check out

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