Scales in the Key of F

Click on the scale name for a diagram and explanation of each scale type:

F Major Scale | F Natural Minor Scale | F Harmonic Minor Scale | F Melodic Minor Scale | F Major Pentatonic Scale | F Minor Pentatonic Scale | F Major Blues Scale | F Minor Blues Scale

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F MAJOR SCALE

The F major scale contains seven notes and starts and ends on F. Major scales are arranged in a specific pattern of whole and half steps: W-W-H-W-W-W-H.

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F NATURAL MINOR SCALE

The F natural minor scale follows the key signature of its relative major: A-flat major. In natural minor scales, there are no additional accidentals.

The relative major key of F minor is A-flat major. Therefore, F minor has four flats (B♭, E♭, A♭, D♭).

TIP: To find the relative major key, count up three half-steps from the minor key’s root note.

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F HARMONIC MINOR SCALE

Harmonic minor scales follow the key signature of the relative major key and raise the seventh note of the scale by one half-step.

The relative major key of F minor is A-flat major and the seventh note of F minor is E♭. Therefore, F harmonic minor has one flat (B♭, E♭, A♭, D♭) and E♭ is raised to E.

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F MELODIC MINOR SCALE

In melodic minor scales, we raise the sixth and seventh notes up one half-step when ascending and lower them back down when descending. Melodic minor scales follow the key signature of the scale’s relative major.

The relative major key of F minor is A-flat major. Therefore, F minor has one flat (B♭, E♭, A♭, D♭) and D♭ and E♭ are the sixth and seventh notes. We raise D♭ and E♭ to D and E when ascending the melodic minor scale, and we lower them back to D♭ and E♭ when descending.

F Melodic Minor Ascending

F Melodic Minor Descending

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F MAJOR PENTATONIC SCALE

The F major pentatonic is a five-note scale built on the following major scale degrees: 1, 2, 3, 5, 6.

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F MINOR PENTATONIC SCALE

The F minor blues scale is built on the following degrees of the natural minor scale: 1, 3, 4, 5, 7.

You can also think of it as being built on the following major scale degrees: 1, ♭3, 4, 5, ♭7.

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F MAJOR BLUES SCALE

The F major blues scale is built on the following degrees of the major scale: 1, 2, ♭3, 3, 5, 6.

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F MINOR BLUES SCALE

The F minor blues scale is built on the following degrees of the natural minor scale: 1, 3, 4, ♭5, 5, 7.

You can also think of it as being built on the following major scale degrees: 1, ♭3, 4, ♭5, 5, ♭7.

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