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F♯ blues major scale on bass guitar
F♯ blues major contains F♯, G♯, A, A♯, C♯, and D♯. Box 1 spans frets 4–7 with roots on string 4, fret 2 and string 2, fret 4.
How it is built
Formula 1, 2, ♭3, 3, 5, 6
How do you play the F♯ blues major scale on bass?
F♯ blues major in box 2 runs from fret 4 to fret 7, 9 notes across 4 strings, from G♯ on the E string at fret 4 up to C♯ on the G string at fret 6. The root falls on the D string at fret 4.
Every note in this box, string by string
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 4 (E) | 4, 5, 6 | G♯, A, A♯ |
| 3 (A) | 4, 6 | C♯, D♯ |
| 2 (D) | 4, 6, 7 | F♯, G♯, A |
| 1 (G) | 6 | C♯ |
Box 3 · frets 6–9
F♯ blues major in box 3 runs from fret 6 to fret 9, 9 notes across 4 strings, from A♯ on the E string at fret 6 up to D♯ on the G string at fret 8. The root falls on the A string at fret 9.
Every note in this box, string by string
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 4 (E) | 6, 9 | A♯, C♯ |
| 3 (A) | 6, 9 | D♯, F♯ |
| 2 (D) | 6, 7, 8 | G♯, A, A♯ |
| 1 (G) | 6, 8 | C♯, D♯ |
Box 5 · frets 11–14
F♯ blues major in box 5 runs from fret 11 to fret 14, 10 notes across 4 strings, from D♯ on the E string at fret 11 up to A on the G string at fret 14. The root falls on the E string at fret 14 and the G string at fret 11.
Every note in this box, string by string
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 4 (E) | 11, 14 | D♯, F♯ |
| 3 (A) | 11, 12, 13 | G♯, A, A♯ |
| 2 (D) | 11, 13 | C♯, D♯ |
| 1 (G) | 11, 13, 14 | F♯, G♯, A |
Why it sounds like that
F♯ blues major adds a minor 3rd to F♯ major pentatonic. The scale contains a tritone between A and D♯, but no leading tone. Its step pattern is W, H, H, 1½, W, 1½. Compare it with F♯ major pentatonic.
When to use it
F♯ blues major fits F♯ major and F♯ minor chords. Use it over 12-bar blues in F♯ and rock progressions. Try it over F♯ major and F♯ minor.
Which position to practise
Practise Box 1 first. Its root on string 4, fret 2 keeps the scale low and sets up Box 2.
Common questions
What notes are in F♯ blues major?
F♯ blues major contains F♯, G♯, A, A♯, C♯, and D♯. The scale includes both minor and major 3rds. It has a tritone between A and D♯. It is also spelled G♭ in enharmonic notation for the same sounding root.
Which chords does F♯ blues major fit?
F♯ blues major fits F♯ major and F♯ minor chords. It also works over G♯ 5th and C♯ 5th. Use it for blues and rock bass lines.
How is F♯ blues major different from F♯ major pentatonic?
F♯ blues major adds an A to F♯ major pentatonic. This creates a minor 3rd alongside the major 3rd. The added note gives a bluesy colour.