Guitar scale reference
F♯ Blues scale on guitar: five CAGED positions
The blues scale adds a flattened 5th to minor pentatonic. That chromatic tone works best as motion and tension rather than a resting point, giving familiar pentatonic shapes a sharper expressive edge.
What gives the scale its sound
Hear the flattened 5th in relation to both the 4th and 5th. Sliding or bending through that three-note area reveals its function more clearly than treating all six notes equally.
- Interval formula
- 1 · ♭3 · 4 · ♭5 · 5 · ♭7
- Notes in F♯
- F♯ · A · B · C · C♯ · E
F♯ Blues across the neck
The five views overlap. Root notes are highlighted; use interval labels first, then confirm the spelled notes above.
Position 1 · E shape · frets 1–5
Ascending and descending tab
e|----------------------------------------2--5--2----------------------------------------| B|-------------------------------1--2--5-----------5--2--1-------------------------------| G|----------------------2--4--5-----------------------------5--4--2----------------------| D|----------------2--4-----------------------------------------------4--2----------------| A|-------2--3--4-----------------------------------------------------------4--3--2-------| E|-2--5-----------------------------------------------------------------------------5--2-|
Position 2 · D shape · frets 3–7
Ascending and descending tab
e|-------------------------------------5--7--5-------------------------------------| B|-------------------------------5--7-----------7--5-------------------------------| G|----------------------4--5--6-----------------------6--5--4----------------------| D|----------------4--7-----------------------------------------7--4----------------| A|-------3--4--7-----------------------------------------------------7--4--3-------| E|-5--7-----------------------------------------------------------------------7--5-|
Position 3 · C shape · frets 5–9
Ascending and descending tab
e|----------------------------------------5--7--8--9--8--7--5----------------------------------------| B|----------------------------------5--7-----------------------7--5----------------------------------| G|-------------------------5--6--9-----------------------------------9--6--5-------------------------| D|-------------------7--9-----------------------------------------------------9--7-------------------| A|-------------7--9-----------------------------------------------------------------9--7-------------| E|-5--7--8--9-----------------------------------------------------------------------------9--8--7--5-|
Position 4 · A shape · frets 8–12
Ascending and descending tab
e|-------------------------------------8--9-12--9--8-------------------------------------| B|------------------------------10-12----------------12-10-------------------------------| G|-------------------------9-11----------------------------11--9-------------------------| D|----------------9-10-11----------------------------------------11-10--9----------------| A|----------9-12----------------------------------------------------------12--9----------| E|-8--9-12----------------------------------------------------------------------12--9--8-|
Position 5 · G shape · frets 10–14
Ascending and descending tab
e|---------------------------------------12-14-12----------------------------------------| B|---------------------------10-12-13-14----------14-13-12-10----------------------------| G|---------------------11-14----------------------------------14-11----------------------| D|------------10-11-14----------------------------------------------14-11-10-------------| A|------12-14----------------------------------------------------------------14-12-------| E|12-14----------------------------------------------------------------------------14-12-|
Practice drill
In each position, play 4–♭5–5 on every available string pair and resolve in both directions. Then improvise a short phrase that crosses one position boundary through the blue note.
Use the guitar scale practice guide to turn the diagram into a recall, connection and phrasing routine.
If the interval formula or five-position layout is new, begin with the beginner guitar scale guide.
Open the scale randomiser