F Composite Blues Guitar Scale
Guitar scale — fretboard diagram
F Composite Blues Scale — Notes and Intervals
The F Composite Blues scale is a comprehensive nine-note jazz scale that merges major and minor blues structures. On Guitar, it contains the notes F, G, Ab, A, Bb, B, C, D, Eb. It allows improvisers absolute melodic freedom over dominant chords, blending happiness and grit in every line. Commonly used in Jazz, Blues, Fusion, Funk. Notable players include John Scofield, Robben Ford, Larry Carlton. Use over dominant 7th chords in blues and jazz-blues. Contains both major and minor 3rds, allowing fluid switching between bright and dark.
Notes: F, G, Ab, A, Bb, B, C, D, Eb
Intervals: 1P, 2M, 3m, 3M, 4P, 5d, 5P, 6M, 7m
Degrees: 1 2 b3 4 5 6 7 8 b9
Formula: W-H-H-H-H-H-W-H-W
Number of notes: 9
How to Play F Composite Blues on Guitar
Place your index finger at fret 1 on the 6th (low E) to find your F root note. Because this scale has 9 notes, four-notes-per-string stretches may be necessary. Start with a single position and expand gradually. Keep your thumb centered behind the neck for reach.
The F Composite Blues scale contains 3 flats (Ab, Bb, Eb). This scale does not follow a traditional major or minor key signature, so reading from sheet music may require accidentals.
Practice Routine
Set a metronome to 80 BPM and play the F Composite Blues scale in groups of four notes, shifting the starting note each repetition. This builds muscle memory across the entire scale range. After a week, try improvising short 4-bar phrases using only these notes.
Experiment with simple two-chord vamps rooted on F to let the characteristic intervals of the Composite Blues scale come through clearly.
Guitar Tips
On guitar, practice the F Composite Blues scale on a single string from the open position to the 12th fret. This trains your ear to hear the intervals linearly and helps with slide guitar applications.
The F Composite Blues scale contains 9 notes (F, G, Ab, A, Bb, B, C, D, Eb). Use the interactive fretboard above to explore this scale on Guitar with different tunings and fret ranges.
CAGED Positions & Patterns for F Composite Blues
The F Composite Blues scale can be played in 5 CAGED positions across the fretboard, each based on an open chord shape (C, A, G, E, D). As a 9-note scale, it also lends itself to 3-notes-per-string (3NPS) patterns that facilitate legato playing and diagonal shifting. Use the pattern selector above to isolate each position.
Explore F Composite Blues Further
- Harmonize the F Composite Blues scale — triads & 7th chords
- Browse chord progressions
- F Composite Blues on Ukulele
- F Composite Blues on Bass
- F Composite Blues on Piano
Explore F Composite Blues in Other Tunings
- F Composite Blues in Drop D (E-B-G-D-A-D)
- F Composite Blues in DADGAD (D-A-G-D-A-D)
- F Composite Blues in Open G (D-B-G-D-G-D)
- F Composite Blues in Baritone (B Standard) (B-F#-D-A-E-B)
- F Composite Blues in 7-string (E-B-G-D-A-E-B)
- F Composite Blues in 8-string (E-B-G-D-A-E-B-F#)
- F Composite Blues in Drop C (D-A-F-C-G-C)
- F Composite Blues in Drop B (C#-G#-E-B-F#-B)
- F Composite Blues in Open D (D-A-F#-D-A-D)
- F Composite Blues in Half Step Down (Eb-Bb-Gb-Db-Ab-Eb)
- F Composite Blues in Open E (E-B-G#-E-B-E)
- F Composite Blues in Open A (E-C#-A-E-A-E)
- F Composite Blues in Double Drop D (D-B-G-D-A-D)
- F Composite Blues in Open C (E-C-G-C-G-C)