Piano Scales

A scale is a set of notes ordered by pitch, defined by its interval pattern — the whole and half steps between each scale degree. That pattern is what makes a major scale sound bright and a natural minor sound dark.

Showing every card in
C

Pick a root key — every card opens in C, and the mini keyboards shift to match.

Most looked up:C MajorA MinorA Harmonic MinorC Major PentatonicA Minor PentatonicC Minor Blues
Jump to

Major & Diatonic

3Learn more →

Major

1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 – 6 – 7

Harmonic Major

1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 – ♭6 – 7

Chromatic

1 – ♭2 – 2 – ♭3 – 3 – 4 – ♭5 – 5 – ♭6 – 6 – ♭7 – 7

Minor Scales

3Learn more →

Minor

1 – 2 – ♭3 – 4 – 5 – ♭6 – ♭7

Harmonic Minor

1 – 2 – ♭3 – 4 – 5 – ♭6 – 7

Melodic Minor

1 – 2 – ♭3 – 4 – 5 – 6 – 7

Pentatonic & Blues

6

Major Pentatonic

1 – 2 – 3 – 5 – 6

Minor Pentatonic

1 – ♭3 – 4 – 5 – ♭7

Major b6 Pentatonic

1 – 2 – 3 – 5 – ♭6

Minor 6 Pentatonic

1 – ♭3 – 4 – 5 – 6

Major Blues

1 – 2 – ♭3 – 3 – 5 – 6

Minor Blues

1 – ♭3 – 4 – ♭5 – 5 – ♭7

Modal & Jazz

7Learn more →

Lydian Dominant

1 – 2 – 3 – ♯4 – 5 – 6 – ♭7

Whole Tone

1 – 2 – 3 – ♯4 – ♯5 – ♭7

Half-Whole Diminished

1 – ♭2 – ♭3 – 3 – ♯4 – 5 – 6 – ♭7

Whole-Half Diminished

1 – 2 – ♭3 – 4 – ♭5 – ♭6 – 6 – 7

Locrian #2

1 – 2 – ♭3 – 4 – ♭5 – ♭6 – ♭7

Phrygian Dominant

1 – ♭2 – 3 – 4 – 5 – ♭6 – ♭7

Altered

1 – ♭2 – ♭3 – ♭4 – ♭5 – ♭6 – ♭7

Bebop & Exotic

5

Major Bebop

1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 – ♯5 – 6 – 7

Dominant Bebop

1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 – 6 – ♭7 – 7

Minor Bebop

1 – 2 – ♭3 – 3 – 4 – 5 – 6 – ♭7

Double Harmonic

1 – ♭2 – 3 – 4 – 5 – ♭6 – 7

Hungarian Minor

1 – 2 – ♭3 – ♯4 – 5 – ♭6 – 7
Browse by feel — bright → dark
☀ Brightest — raised 4thsDarkest — ♭2 · ♭5 ☾

All 24 scales — bright → dark

Lydian Dominant

1 – 2 – 3 – ♯4 – 5 – 6 – ♭7

Whole Tone

1 – 2 – 3 – ♯4 – ♯5 – ♭7

Major

1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 – 6 – 7

Major Pentatonic

1 – 2 – 3 – 5 – 6

Major Bebop

1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 – ♯5 – 6 – 7

Dominant Bebop

1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 – 6 – ♭7 – 7

Harmonic Major

1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 – ♭6 – 7

Chromatic

1 – ♭2 – 2 – ♭3 – 3 – 4 – ♭5 – 5 – ♭6 – 6 – ♭7 – 7

Major Blues

1 – 2 – ♭3 – 3 – 5 – 6

Major b6 Pentatonic

1 – 2 – 3 – 5 – ♭6

Half-Whole Diminished

1 – ♭2 – ♭3 – 3 – ♯4 – 5 – 6 – ♭7

Minor 6 Pentatonic

1 – ♭3 – 4 – 5 – 6

Melodic Minor

1 – 2 – ♭3 – 4 – 5 – 6 – 7

Minor Bebop

1 – 2 – ♭3 – 3 – 4 – 5 – 6 – ♭7

Minor Pentatonic

1 – ♭3 – 4 – 5 – ♭7

Minor Blues

1 – ♭3 – 4 – ♭5 – 5 – ♭7

Minor

1 – 2 – ♭3 – 4 – 5 – ♭6 – ♭7

Phrygian Dominant

1 – ♭2 – 3 – 4 – 5 – ♭6 – ♭7

Harmonic Minor

1 – 2 – ♭3 – 4 – 5 – ♭6 – 7

Whole-Half Diminished

1 – 2 – ♭3 – 4 – ♭5 – ♭6 – 6 – 7

Hungarian Minor

1 – 2 – ♭3 – ♯4 – 5 – ♭6 – 7

Locrian #2

1 – 2 – ♭3 – 4 – ♭5 – ♭6 – ♭7

Double Harmonic

1 – ♭2 – 3 – 4 – 5 – ♭6 – 7

Altered

1 – ♭2 – ♭3 – ♭4 – ♭5 – ♭6 – ♭7
What is a scale?

A scale is a sequence of notes that share a tonal center. Different intervals between the notes produce different moods — the bright optimism of a major scale, the introspection of a natural minor, the floating uncertainty of whole tone, or the flamenco intensity of phrygian dominant.

Every scale on this page can be played starting on any of 12 root notes. The detail pages include keyboard diagrams, audio, fingering, key signatures, and the chords that belong to each key.

Scale formula reference (all 24)
ScaleNotesFormulaFamily
Major71 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 – 6 – 7major
Harmonic Major71 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 – ♭6 – 7major
Chromatic121 – ♭2 – 2 – ♭3 – 3 – 4 – ♭5 – 5 – ♭6 – 6 – ♭7 – 7chromatic
Minor71 – 2 – ♭3 – 4 – 5 – ♭6 – ♭7minor
Harmonic Minor71 – 2 – ♭3 – 4 – 5 – ♭6 – 7minor
Melodic Minor71 – 2 – ♭3 – 4 – 5 – 6 – 7minor
Major Pentatonic51 – 2 – 3 – 5 – 6pentatonic
Minor Pentatonic51 – ♭3 – 4 – 5 – ♭7pentatonic
Major b6 Pentatonic51 – 2 – 3 – 5 – ♭6pentatonic
Minor 6 Pentatonic51 – ♭3 – 4 – 5 – 6pentatonic
Major Blues61 – 2 – ♭3 – 3 – 5 – 6blues
Minor Blues61 – ♭3 – 4 – ♭5 – 5 – ♭7blues
Lydian Dominant71 – 2 – 3 – ♯4 – 5 – 6 – ♭7modal
Whole Tone61 – 2 – 3 – ♯4 – ♯5 – ♭7whole tone
Half-Whole Diminished81 – ♭2 – ♭3 – 3 – ♯4 – 5 – 6 – ♭7diminished
Whole-Half Diminished81 – 2 – ♭3 – 4 – ♭5 – ♭6 – 6 – 7diminished
Locrian #271 – 2 – ♭3 – 4 – ♭5 – ♭6 – ♭7modal
Phrygian Dominant71 – ♭2 – 3 – 4 – 5 – ♭6 – ♭7modal
Altered71 – ♭2 – ♭3 – ♭4 – ♭5 – ♭6 – ♭7modal
Major Bebop81 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 – ♯5 – 6 – 7bebop
Dominant Bebop81 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 – 6 – ♭7 – 7bebop
Minor Bebop81 – 2 – ♭3 – 3 – 4 – 5 – 6 – ♭7bebop
Double Harmonic71 – ♭2 – 3 – 4 – 5 – ♭6 – 7exotic
Hungarian Minor71 – 2 – ♭3 – ♯4 – 5 – ♭6 – 7exotic