F# Blues Scale on Piano

The F# Blues scale sounds gritty and vocal. It runs F# – A – B – C – C# – E and is written with two sharps.

It shares its key signature with A major, its relative major.

Interval Circle

W+HWHHW+HWCb5C#5DD#Eb7FF#1GG#Ab3A#B4

All twelve semitones, root at the top. Filled dots are the notes of the scale, the outer numbers are their degrees, and W / H mark the whole and half steps between them.

About This Scale

The minor pentatonic with a chromatic passing note squeezed between the 4th and the 5th. That blue note is a decoration, not a destination — it works best slid through on the way somewhere else.

Fingering

Right Hand (ascending)

2-1-2-3-4-1-2

Left Hand (ascending)

2-1-4-3-2-1-2

Why this fingering

2 black keys (F#, C#) sit in this scale, and the thumb has to avoid them. In the right hand the thumb crosses under onto A and E; let the elbow drift slightly outward as it passes rather than twisting the wrist.

The blue dots on the piano below show which keys to press — they turn green when you play the right note.

Notes in F# Blues

NoteIntervalRH FingerLH Finger
F#F#4Root (1)22
AA4Minor 3rd (b3)11
BB4Perfect 4th (4)24
CC5Tritone (b5)33
C#C#5Perfect 5th (5)42
EE5Minor 7th (b7)11
F#F#5Octave (8)22

Other Blues Scales

C Blues
C – Eb – F – Gb – G – Bb
C# Blues
C# – E – F# – G – G# – B
D Blues
D – F – G – Ab – A – C
Eb Blues
Eb – Gb – Ab – A – Bb – Db
E Blues
E – G – A – Bb – B – D
F Blues
F – Ab – Bb – B – C – Eb
G Blues
G – Bb – C – Db – D – F
G# Blues
G# – B – C# – D – D# – F#
A Blues
A – C – D – Eb – E – G
Bb Blues
Bb – Db – Eb – E – F – Ab
B Blues
B – D – E – F – F# – A

Other F# Scales

F# Major
F# – G# – A# – B – C# – D# – E#
F# Natural Minor
F# – G# – A – B – C# – D – E
F# Harmonic Minor
F# – G# – A – B – C# – D – E#
F# Melodic Minor
F# – G# – A – B – C# – D# – E#
F# Major Pentatonic
F# – G# – A# – C# – D#
F# Minor Pentatonic
F# – A – B – C# – E
F# Dorian
F# – G# – A – B – C# – D# – E
F# Mixolydian
F# – G# – A# – B – C# – D# – E
F# Chromatic
F# – G – G# – A – A# – B – C – C# – D – D# – E – F