F Blues Scale
Bluesy scale with tension note
What is the F Blues Scale?
The blues scale is the minor pentatonic with one extra note added — the b5, between the 4th and 5th. That single note is the 'blue note', the chromatic passing tone responsible for the bent, unresolved character of blues guitar phrasing. With six notes (root, b3, 4, b5, 5, b7), the blues scale fits into nearly any blues, rock or fusion solo.
Notes in the scale: F – G# – A# – B – C – D#
Intervals: Root, b3, 4, b5, 5, b7 (measured from the root)
Parent key: F minor — shares the same seven notes
Progressions where the F Blues Scale fits
i-VI-III-VII — in F minor
Fm → C# → G# → D#
i-iv-v — in F minor
Fm → A#m → Cm
When to use the F Blues Scale
F Blues Scale is F minor pentatonic plus the b5 blue note — built for a 12-bar blues in F. Use the blues scale over a 12-bar blues in any key, over minor blues, over rock solos when you want extra grit, and over any I7-IV7-V7 vamp. The b5 is most effective as a passing note rather than a resting note — bend up to it from the 4 or down to it from the 5. It's also the standard scale for slide guitar phrasing.
F7 Chord
Blues chord for this scale
Blues Improvisation
Master blues soloing
Practice with Improvisio
See how the F Blues Scale works over chord progressions.
Try it in the trainer