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