F blues scale on cavaquinho
The F blues scale has 6 notes: F A♭ B♭ C♭ C E♭ (F, A flat, B flat, C flat, C, and E flat).
- F 1
- A♭ A flat ♭3
- B♭ B flat 4
- C♭ C flat ♭5
- C 5
- E♭ E flat ♭7
Whole neck: every note of the scale up to fret 17. The root (F) is highlighted.
Positions as text
Box 1 (frets 3 to 6), from the lowest note to the highest:
- string 4: 3 (F), 6 (A♭)
- string 3: 3 (B♭), 4 (C♭), 5 (C)
- string 2: 4 (E♭), 6 (F)
- string 1: 6 (A♭)
Box 2 (frets 5 to 10), from the lowest note to the highest:
- string 4: 6 (A♭), 8 (B♭), 9 (C♭)
- string 3: 5 (C), 8 (E♭)
- string 2: 6 (F), 9 (A♭)
- string 1: 8 (B♭), 9 (C♭), 10 (C)
Box 3 (frets 8 to 12), from the lowest note to the highest:
- string 4: 8 (B♭), 9 (C♭), 10 (C)
- string 3: 8 (E♭), 10 (F)
- string 2: 9 (A♭), 11 (B♭), 12 (C♭)
- string 1: 10 (C)
Box 4 (frets 10 to 13), from the lowest note to the highest:
- string 4: 10 (C), 13 (E♭)
- string 3: 10 (F), 13 (A♭)
- string 2: 11 (B♭), 12 (C♭), 13 (C)
- string 1: 13 (E♭)
Box 5 (frets 13 to 16), from the lowest note to the highest:
- string 4: 13 (E♭), 15 (F)
- string 3: 13 (A♭), 15 (B♭), 16 (C♭)
- string 2: 13 (C), 16 (E♭)
- string 1: 15 (F)
Fretboard positions
The positions are the pentatonic boxes with the passing note (♭3) fitted in between the notes of the box. Box 1 starts on the root (F).
Use Degrees to see the role of each note (1 is the root) and Listen to hear the selected position going up and down.
Formula
- F
- 1½W
- A♭
- W
- B♭
- H
- C♭
- H
- C
- 1½W
- E♭
- W
- F
Degrees: 1 · ♭3 · 4 · ♭5 · 5 · ♭7. Steps: 1½W – W – H – H – 1½W – W (W = whole step, H = half step).
About the blues scale
Minor pentatonic plus the "blue note" (flat fifth). The sound of the blues.
Scales with the same notes
Relative major: A flat major blues scale . Same notes, different center.
More F scales
- Major
- Natural minor
- Harmonic minor
- Melodic minor
- Major pentatonic
- Minor pentatonic
- Blues
- Major blues
- Dorian
- Phrygian
- Lydian
- Mixolydian
- Locrian
- Nordestina (Brazilian baião)
- Phrygian dominant
- Whole-tone
- Diminished (whole-half)
- Dominant diminished (half-whole)
Blues in other keys
Frequently asked questions
What are the notes of the F blues scale?
The notes of the F blues scale are F, A flat, B flat, C flat, C, and E flat. The root, degree 1, is F.
What is the formula of the F blues scale?
In degrees: 1 · ♭3 · 4 · ♭5 · 5 · ♭7. In steps between the notes: 1½W – W – H – H – 1½W – W (W = whole step, H = half step).
How do you play the F blues scale on cavaquinho?
The positions are the pentatonic boxes with the passing note (♭3) fitted in between the notes of the box. Box 1 starts on the root (F). There are 5 boxes on cavaquinho, each with the full fingering.