Learning the F Augmented Scale
F, Ab, A, C, C# and E form the F augmented scale. Because the root is on the 1st fret of the low E string, this is the lowest position the shape can take.
Slide the same pattern up four frets and you land on A augmented, then four more for C#, which shows how few different augmented scales exist. Pairing it with scales over chords turns the symmetry into a practical tool.
Play the F augmented scale
Use the step menu in the player to switch between the single-string run and the box shapes.
Notes of the F augmented scale
| Note | Degree | Interval | Semitones from root |
|---|---|---|---|
| F | 1 | Root | 0 |
| Ab | b3 | Minor 3rd | 3 |
| A | 3 | Major 3rd | 4 |
| C | 5 | Perfect 5th | 7 |
| C# | #5 | Minor 6th | 8 |
| E | 7 | Major 7th | 11 |
Structure
F augmented scale notes:
How the augmented scale is built:
The augmented scale is built from the degrees 1 b3 3 5 #5 7, which gives the step pattern W+H-H-W+H-H-W+H-H (W = whole step, H = half step).
Counting in semitones from the root: 0, 3, 4, 7, 8, 11. That makes it a 6-note scale.
F Augmented Scale Guitar Patterns
Static diagrams of every position shown in the player above.
On one string (low E)
Box pattern — position 1
Box pattern — position 2
Box pattern — position 3
Box pattern — position 4
Box pattern — position 5
3 notes per string — position 1
The augmented scale in other keys
Created by
Giancarlo is a musician (teaching guitar since 2000), software engineer, AI consultant and published researcher
