About the F#/Gb Quartal Scale (Stacked 4ths)
The F#/Gb quartal scale is a 6-note scale. Built on stacking perfect fourths, modern jazz sound (So What, Herbie Hancock). Its notes are F#, B, E, A, D and G, built from the formula 1 4 ♭7 ♭3 ♭6 ♭2.
- Notes
- F# – B – E – A – D – G
- Formula
- 1 4 ♭7 ♭3 ♭6 ♭2
- Steps
- 5–5–-7–5–-7–11
- Root
- F#/Gb
F#/Gb Quartal Scale (Stacked 4ths) degrees and intervals
| Degree | Note | Interval |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | F# | Root |
| 4 | B | Perfect 4th |
| ♭7 | E | Minor 7th |
| ♭3 | A | Minor 3rd |
| ♭6 | D | Minor 6th |
| ♭2 | G | Minor 2nd |
Where to play the F#/Gb Quartal Scale (Stacked 4ths) on 6-string bass
Frets 0–12 in standard tuning (B E A D G C), lowest string first. Root notes (F#) are highlighted; the pattern repeats from the 12th fret up.
| String | Frets |
|---|---|
| B0 | 0, 3, 5, 7, 8, 10, 12 |
| E1 | 0, 2, 3, 5, 7, 10, 12 |
| A1 | 0, 2, 5, 7, 9, 10, 12 |
| D2 | 0, 2, 4, 5, 7, 9, 12 |
| G2 | 0, 2, 4, 7, 9, 11, 12 |
| C3 | 2, 4, 6, 7, 9, 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#/Gb Quartal Scale (Stacked 4ths)
These scales share every note with the F#/Gb 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#/Gb
- F#/Gb Minor Pentatonic
- F#/Gb Major Pentatonic
- F#/Gb Mixolydian Pentatonic
- F#/Gb Natural Minor
- F#/Gb Major (Ionian)
- F#/Gb Blues
- F#/Gb Dorian
- F#/Gb Mixolydian
- F#/Gb Phrygian
- F#/Gb Harmonic Minor
- F#/Gb Lydian
- F#/Gb Locrian
- F#/Gb Diminished (Half-Whole)
- F#/Gb Diminished (Whole-Half)
- F#/Gb Whole Tone
- F#/Gb Augmented (Hexatonic)
- F#/Gb Altered (Super Locrian)
- F#/Gb Phrygian Dominant
- F#/Gb Lydian Dominant
- F#/Gb Mixolydian ♭6 (Hindu)
- F#/Gb Bebop Dominant
- F#/Gb Quartal Minor (Stacked 4ths)