Bass WoodshedScales, modes and arpeggios for bass

Scale · 4-string · Root on E string, 9th fret

C♯ Blues Scale

C♯EF♯GG♯B

Whole neck Left-handed

Tab & notation

Up and back down · 12 notes in 8th notes · 2 bars of 4/4 Bass clef

Note

Deg

Fing

C♯

♭3

F♯

♭5

G♯

♭7

C♯

♭7

G♯

♭5

F♯

♭3

How it's built

W = whole step (2 frets) · H = half step (1 fret)

C♯1Root

W+H

E♭3Minor 3rd

F♯4Perfect 4th

G♭5Diminished 5th

G♯5Perfect 5th

W+H

B♭7Minor 7th

C♯8Octave

Minor pentatonic with the ♭5 blue note added. Treat the ♭5 as a passing note: slide through it to the 5th rather than resting on it.

Also called: Minor pentatonic plus ♭5
Key signature: 4 sharps: C♯ D♯ F♯ G♯
Relative major: E
Use it over: 12-bar blues, shuffles, rock and funk riffs.
Practice tip: Play 4, ♭5, 5 as one chromatic slide. That three-note move is the sound of the blues.
Your best: Complete a loop to log a tempo for this pattern.

Practice routine

One-bar count-in

Speed builder

Add BPM every loops, up to BPM

Move through keys

every loops

Cycling 4ths is how jazz players drill a shape in all twelve keys.

Memory mode: hide the tab and fingering after the first loop Small speakers: play the bass an octave higher

Bass Click Drone Chords Drums

How to play the C♯ blues scale on bass

The C♯ blues scale has 6 notes: C♯, E, F♯, G, G♯ and B. Minor pentatonic with the ♭5 blue note added. Treat the ♭5 as a passing note: slide through it to the 5th rather than resting on it.

Step pattern: W+H W H H W+H W (W = whole step, two frets; H = half step, one fret). Formula: 1 ♭3 4 ♭5 5 ♭7. Key signature: 4 sharps: C♯ D♯ F♯ G♯. Relative major: E major scale.

The root, C♯, is on the 9th fret of the E string and the 4th fret of the A string. On a five-string bass it is also on the 2nd fret of the low B string.

C♯ Blues Scale tab: root on the E string

Start on the 9th fret of the E string with your first finger. The shape covers frets 9 to 12 without moving your hand.

G|-------------------|
D|--------------9-11-|
A|------9-10-11------|
E|-9-12--------------|

Notes: C♯ E F♯ G G♯ B C♯
Fingers: 1 4 1 2 3 1 3

C♯ Blues Scale tab: root on the A string

Start on the 4th fret of the A string with your first finger. The shape covers frets 4 to 7 without moving your hand.

G|-----------4-6-|
D|-----4-5-6-----|
A|-4-7-----------|
E|---------------|

Notes: C♯ E F♯ G G♯ B C♯
Fingers: 1 4 1 2 3 1 3

Two octaves from the E string

Start on the 9th fret of the E string with your first finger. The shape covers frets 9 to 18 with 1 position shift and 2 one-fret stretches.

G|----------------------------13-16-18-|
D|--------------9-11-14-16-17----------|
A|------9-10-11------------------------|
E|-9-12--------------------------------|

Notes: C♯ E F♯ G G♯ B C♯ E F♯ G G♯ B C♯
Fingers: 1 4 1 2 3 1 3 1 3 4 1 3 4

On a 5-string bass: root on the B string

Start on the 2nd fret of the B string with your second finger. The shape covers frets 2 to 4 without moving your hand.

G|---------------|
D|---------------|
A|-----------2-4-|
E|---0-2-3-4-----|
B|-2-------------|

Notes: C♯ E F♯ G G♯ B C♯
Fingers: 2 open 2 3 4 2 4

Notes and intervals

Degree	Note	Interval	Frets above the root
1	C♯	Root	0
♭3	E	Minor 3rd	3
4	F♯	Perfect 4th	5
♭5	G	Diminished 5th	6
5	G♯	Perfect 5th	7
♭7	B	Minor 7th	10

When to use it

12-bar blues, shuffles, rock and funk riffs. Play 4, ♭5, 5 as one chromatic slide. That three-note move is the sound of the blues.

How to practise it

Start with the metronome at 60 BPM in 8th notes, ascending and descending, until you can play it without looking. Raise the tempo 5 BPM at a time with the speed builder, then switch on memory mode so the tab hides after the first loop. Earn bronze for playing it through, silver at 4 notes a second, and gold at that speed from memory.

The blues scale in every key

Printable chart of all 12 keys: PDF · print page · every pattern in one PDF