About the B Quartal Scale (Stacked 4ths)
The B quartal scale is a 6-note scale. Built on stacking perfect fourths, modern jazz sound (So What, Herbie Hancock). Its notes are B, E, A, D, G and C, built from the formula 1 4 ♭7 ♭3 ♭6 ♭2.
- Notes
- B – E – A – D – G – C
- Formula
- 1 4 ♭7 ♭3 ♭6 ♭2
- Steps
- 5–5–-7–5–-7–11
- Root
- B
B Quartal Scale (Stacked 4ths) degrees and intervals
| Degree | Note | Interval |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | B | Root |
| 4 | E | Perfect 4th |
| ♭7 | A | Minor 7th |
| ♭3 | D | Minor 3rd |
| ♭6 | G | Minor 6th |
| ♭2 | C | Minor 2nd |
Where to play the B Quartal Scale (Stacked 4ths) on bass
Frets 0–12 in standard tuning (E A D G), lowest string first. Root notes (B) are highlighted; the pattern repeats from the 12th fret up.
| String | Frets |
|---|---|
| E1 | 0, 3, 5, 7, 8, 10, 12 |
| A1 | 0, 2, 3, 5, 7, 10, 12 |
| D2 | 0, 2, 5, 7, 9, 10, 12 |
| G2 | 0, 2, 4, 5, 7, 9, 12 |
How to practice the quartal scale
- Practice voicings stacking 4ths on each string set
- Use over sus4, m7, and m11 chords
- Work on McCoy Tyner and Herbie Hancock-style comping
- Try parallel quartal movement up/down the neck
- Great for modal jazz and open, ambiguous harmonies
Scales with the same notes as B Quartal Scale (Stacked 4ths)
These scales share every note with the B quartal scale but start from a different root, so the same shapes work over different chords.
Quartal scale in other keys
Other scales in B
- B Minor Pentatonic
- B Major Pentatonic
- B Mixolydian Pentatonic
- B Natural Minor
- B Major (Ionian)
- B Blues
- B Dorian
- B Mixolydian
- B Phrygian
- B Harmonic Minor
- B Lydian
- B Locrian
- B Diminished (Half-Whole)
- B Diminished (Whole-Half)
- B Whole Tone
- B Augmented (Hexatonic)
- B Altered (Super Locrian)
- B Phrygian Dominant
- B Lydian Dominant
- B Mixolydian ♭6 (Hindu)
- B Bebop Dominant
- B Quartal Minor (Stacked 4ths)