About the A#/Bb Quartal Scale (Stacked 4ths)
The A#/Bb quartal scale is a 6-note scale. Built on stacking perfect fourths, modern jazz sound (So What, Herbie Hancock). Its notes are A#, D#, G#, C#, F# and B, built from the formula 1 4 ♭7 ♭3 ♭6 ♭2.
- Notes
- A# – D# – G# – C# – F# – B
- Formula
- 1 4 ♭7 ♭3 ♭6 ♭2
- Steps
- 5–5–-7–5–-7–11
- Root
- A#/Bb
A#/Bb Quartal Scale (Stacked 4ths) degrees and intervals
| Degree | Note | Interval |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | A# | Root |
| 4 | D# | Perfect 4th |
| ♭7 | G# | Minor 7th |
| ♭3 | C# | Minor 3rd |
| ♭6 | F# | Minor 6th |
| ♭2 | B | Minor 2nd |
Where to play the A#/Bb Quartal Scale (Stacked 4ths) on ukulele
Frets 0–12 in standard tuning (G C E A), lowest string first. Root notes (A#) are highlighted; the pattern repeats from the 12th fret up.
| String | Frets |
|---|---|
| G4 | 1, 3, 4, 6, 8, 11 |
| C4 | 1, 3, 6, 8, 10, 11 |
| E4 | 2, 4, 6, 7, 9, 11 |
| A4 | 1, 2, 4, 6, 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 A#/Bb Quartal Scale (Stacked 4ths)
These scales share every note with the A#/Bb quartal scale but start from a different root, so the same shapes work over different chords.
Quartal scale in other keys
Other scales in A#/Bb
- A#/Bb Minor Pentatonic
- A#/Bb Major Pentatonic
- A#/Bb Mixolydian Pentatonic
- A#/Bb Natural Minor
- A#/Bb Major (Ionian)
- A#/Bb Blues
- A#/Bb Dorian
- A#/Bb Mixolydian
- A#/Bb Phrygian
- A#/Bb Harmonic Minor
- A#/Bb Lydian
- A#/Bb Locrian
- A#/Bb Diminished (Half-Whole)
- A#/Bb Diminished (Whole-Half)
- A#/Bb Whole Tone
- A#/Bb Augmented (Hexatonic)
- A#/Bb Altered (Super Locrian)
- A#/Bb Phrygian Dominant
- A#/Bb Lydian Dominant
- A#/Bb Mixolydian ♭6 (Hindu)
- A#/Bb Bebop Dominant
- A#/Bb Quartal Minor (Stacked 4ths)