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Music scales
Choose a root note and a scale to see its notes, its formula and its step pattern, on the piano, on the staff and on the guitar fretboard.
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How scales are built
A scale is a set of notes in order, defined by the distance between each note and the next. A half step (H) is the smallest distance on the piano, from one key to the very next one; a whole step (W) is two half steps. The major scale follows W–W–H–W–W–W–H, so from C it gives C D E F G A B C, all on the white keys.
Every scale here is spelled with one note per letter (for seven-note scales): that's why D major has F♯ and not G♭. The formula column shows each note as a degree of the major scale: ♭3 is a third lowered a half step.
Major scales in every key
| Scale | Notes | Key signature |
|---|---|---|
| C major scale | C D E F G A B | no sharps or flats |
| G major scale | G A B C D E F♯ | 1 sharp |
| D major scale | D E F♯ G A B C♯ | 2 sharps |
| A major scale | A B C♯ D E F♯ G♯ | 3 sharps |
| E major scale | E F♯ G♯ A B C♯ D♯ | 4 sharps |
| B major scale | B C♯ D♯ E F♯ G♯ A♯ | 5 sharps |
| F♯ major scale | F♯ G♯ A♯ B C♯ D♯ E♯ | 6 sharps |
| D♭ major scale | D♭ E♭ F G♭ A♭ B♭ C | 5 flats |
| A♭ major scale | A♭ B♭ C D♭ E♭ F G | 4 flats |
| E♭ major scale | E♭ F G A♭ B♭ C D | 3 flats |
| B♭ major scale | B♭ C D E♭ F G A | 2 flats |
| F major scale | F G A B♭ C D E | 1 flat |
Natural minor scales in every key
| Scale | Notes | Key signature |
|---|---|---|
| A natural minor scale | A B C D E F G | no sharps or flats |
| E natural minor scale | E F♯ G A B C D | 1 sharp |
| B natural minor scale | B C♯ D E F♯ G A | 2 sharps |
| F♯ natural minor scale | F♯ G♯ A B C♯ D E | 3 sharps |
| C♯ natural minor scale | C♯ D♯ E F♯ G♯ A B | 4 sharps |
| G♯ natural minor scale | G♯ A♯ B C♯ D♯ E F♯ | 5 sharps |
| D♯ natural minor scale | D♯ E♯ F♯ G♯ A♯ B C♯ | 6 sharps |
| B♭ natural minor scale | B♭ C D♭ E♭ F G♭ A♭ | 5 flats |
| F natural minor scale | F G A♭ B♭ C D♭ E♭ | 4 flats |
| C natural minor scale | C D E♭ F G A♭ B♭ | 3 flats |
| G natural minor scale | G A B♭ C D E♭ F | 2 flats |
| D natural minor scale | D E F G A B♭ C | 1 flat |
The minor scales: natural, harmonic and melodic
The natural minor scale follows W–H–W–W–H–W–W (A minor: A B C D E F G). The harmonic minor raises the seventh note a half step (A B C D E F G♯), which makes the chord on the fifth degree major. The melodic minor raises both the sixth and the seventh on the way up (A B C D E F♯ G♯); in classical music it usually comes back down as the natural minor.
The modes
The seven modes are the major scale started on each of its notes. With the white keys only: C to C is Ionian (the major scale), D to D Dorian, E to E Phrygian, F to F Lydian, G to G Mixolydian, A to A Aeolian (the natural minor) and B to B Locrian. Here they are all built on C, so you can compare their formulas:
| Mode | Formula | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| C major scale | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 | C D E F G A B |
| C Dorian scale | 1 2 ♭3 4 5 6 ♭7 | C D E♭ F G A B♭ |
| C Phrygian scale | 1 ♭2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7 | C D♭ E♭ F G A♭ B♭ |
| C Lydian scale | 1 2 3 ♯4 5 6 7 | C D E F♯ G A B |
| C Mixolydian scale | 1 2 3 4 5 6 ♭7 | C D E F G A B♭ |
| C natural minor scale | 1 2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7 | C D E♭ F G A♭ B♭ |
| C Locrian scale | 1 ♭2 ♭3 4 ♭5 ♭6 ♭7 | C D♭ E♭ F G♭ A♭ B♭ |
Pentatonic and blues scales
The major pentatonic scale is the major scale without its 4th and 7th (C D E G A). The minor pentatonic is the natural minor without its 2nd and 6th (A C D E G). The blues scale used here is the six-note minor blues scale: the minor pentatonic plus the flat fifth (A C D E♭ E G).
Every scale type and its formula
| Scale | Formula | Steps (W = whole, H = half) | In C |
|---|---|---|---|
| Major | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 | W – W – H – W – W – W – H | C D E F G A B |
| Natural minor (Aeolian) | 1 2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7 | W – H – W – W – H – W – W | C D E♭ F G A♭ B♭ |
| Harmonic minor | 1 2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 7 | W – H – W – W – H – W+H – H | C D E♭ F G A♭ B |
| Melodic minor (ascending) | 1 2 ♭3 4 5 6 7 | W – H – W – W – W – W – H | C D E♭ F G A B |
| Dorian | 1 2 ♭3 4 5 6 ♭7 | W – H – W – W – W – H – W | C D E♭ F G A B♭ |
| Phrygian | 1 ♭2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7 | H – W – W – W – H – W – W | C D♭ E♭ F G A♭ B♭ |
| Lydian | 1 2 3 ♯4 5 6 7 | W – W – W – H – W – W – H | C D E F♯ G A B |
| Mixolydian | 1 2 3 4 5 6 ♭7 | W – W – H – W – W – H – W | C D E F G A B♭ |
| Locrian | 1 ♭2 ♭3 4 ♭5 ♭6 ♭7 | H – W – W – H – W – W – W | C D♭ E♭ F G♭ A♭ B♭ |
| Major pentatonic | 1 2 3 5 6 | W – W – W+H – W – W+H | C D E G A |
| Minor pentatonic | 1 ♭3 4 5 ♭7 | W+H – W – W – W+H – W | C E♭ F G B♭ |
| Blues | 1 ♭3 4 ♭5 5 ♭7 | W+H – W – H – H – W+H – W | C E♭ F G♭ G B♭ |
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a major and a minor scale?
The third note. In a major scale it is a major third above the root (four half steps: C to E); in a minor scale it is a minor third (three half steps: C to E♭). The natural minor also lowers the 6th and 7th.
Why does D major have F♯ and not G♭?
Because a seven-note scale uses each letter once: D E F♯ G A B C♯. Writing G♭ would leave out the letter F and repeat G.
What do W and H mean?
W is a whole step (two half steps, for example C to D) and H is a half step (one key on the piano, for example E to F). W+H is a step and a half: three half steps.