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