F♯ blues scale (G♭ blues)
F♯ blues scale is F♯ – A – B – C – C♯ – E, with F♯ and C♯. Formula 1 ♭3 4 ♭5 5 ♭7. Press play and follow the keys.
The notes, one step at a time
The step pattern is W+H W H H W+H W (W = whole step, H = half step, W+H = a step and a half). The half steps fall between B–C and C–C♯. The wide steps are F♯–A and C♯–E.
| Degree | Note | Interval from F♯ | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | F♯ | root | |
| ♭3 | A | minor third | |
| 4 | B | perfect fourth | |
| ♭5 | C | tritone | |
| 5 | C♯ | perfect fifth | |
| ♭7 | E | minor seventh |
What F♯ blues sounds like
The blues scale is the minor pentatonic with one extra note, the ♭5 (C). That note is meant to be passed through, not landed on: it's the gritty in-between sound of the blues.
Over a F♯7 chord the ♭3 (A) clashes with the chord's major third on purpose; bending it slightly sharp is the blues.
F♯ blues scale is F♯ minor pentatonic scale plus C. Hear F♯ minor pentatonic scale and compare.
Playing F♯ blues
Keyboard players: two black (F♯ and C♯), four white.
On guitar the root sits at the 2nd fret of the low E string. The box above covers frets 0–6 and holds 15 notes of the scale across all six strings; play it low string to high.
What to play it over
Chords built only from these notes: F♯m, F♯m7, F♯sus4, A, Am, Asus2, Bsus2, Esus2, Bsus4, Esus4, A6, Am6.
Moving it around the guitar
The root, F♯, sits at frets 2 and 14 on the low E string and 9 on the A string. Treat the ♭5 as a passing note; slide through it rather than landing on it.
On the piano, F♯ blues scale uses 2 black keys (F♯ and C♯) and 4 white.
Thirds make the scale sound musical instead of step-by-step: F♯–B, A–C, B–C♯, C–E, C♯–F♯, E–A.
Practice patterns for F♯ blues scale
Try these after the plain scale. Tap to hear each pattern at a steady speed, then play along.
- Three-note runs: F♯ A B · A B C · B C C♯ · C C♯ E · C♯ E F♯.
- Lean on C: F♯ C F♯ C F♯: the ♭5, the blue note, squeezed between the 4th and 5th.
Scales to compare with F♯ blues
Blues scale in every key
F♯ blues scale: questions
What are the notes of the F♯ blues scale?
F♯, A, B, C, C♯ and E, then F♯ again at the octave. Formula: 1 ♭3 4 ♭5 5 ♭7.
How many sharps or flats are in the F♯ blues scale?
Two: F♯ and C♯.
What's the difference between F♯ blues scale and F♯ minor pentatonic scale?
It adds C.
What chords go with the F♯ blues scale?
Any chord built only from its notes, for example F♯m, F♯m7, F♯sus4, A, Am and Asus2. In a 12-bar blues in F♯ it also works over the IV and V seventh chords, where the clashing notes are part of the sound.
Generated from the step pattern 3-2-1-1-3-2 and checked by the site's tests. Updated September 2026.