F♯ Blues Scale (F♯ A B C C♯ E)
F♯ blues is F♯ A B C C♯ E, low on the neck, where releases can fall onto open strings. That's most of why blues in F♯ feels greasier than blues in G.
Fretboard diagram
Every F♯ blues note from the open strings to fret 22. At fret 12 the map starts over an octave up.
Notes in this scale
| Symbol | Interval | Note |
|---|---|---|
| R | root | F♯ |
| ♭3 | minor third | A |
| 4 | perfect fourth | B |
| ♭5 | flatted fifth | C |
| 5 | perfect fifth | C♯ |
| ♭7 | minor seventh | E |
Where to land
A lead that never touches its root is an exercise. In the first twelve frets F♯ sits on the low E string at fret 2, the A string at fret 9, the D string at fret 4, the G string at fret 11, the B string at fret 7, and the high E string at fret 2. End phrases on one of them until it's automatic, then start aiming for whichever chord tone the band is sitting on instead.
The C is the exception to every landing rule. Bend into it, slide through it, resolve it to the C♯ a half step up or keep falling to the fourth. Treat it as a note you visit, and keep ending phrases on F♯, the way every blues record you own already does.
Keep exploring
Same root
Same notes
F♯ minor pentatonic is this scale without the ♭5.
Chords it fits over
F♯7 for a blues, F♯m and F♯m7 for everything darker.
Nearby keys
F♯ blues FAQ
What notes are in the F♯ blues scale?
F♯ blues contains F♯, A, B, C, C♯, and E. That's the root, the minor third, the perfect fourth, the flatted fifth, the perfect fifth, and the minor seventh.
What fret does F♯ blues start on?
The lowest root is F♯ at fret 2 on the low E string, and most players anchor there. The scale itself covers the whole neck, and everything repeats twelve frets higher.
What is the blue note in the F♯ blues scale?
C, the flatted fifth. It sits one fret below the perfect fifth and one above the fourth. It works as a passing note, bent into or slid through, and resolves cleanly to either neighbor.