Music scales on piano and guitar
A scale is a set of notes in order of pitch, defined by its pattern of whole and half steps. The major scale follows W W H W W W H; from C that gives C D E F G A B. This page covers 12 scale types in all 12 keys. Press play to hear C major.
What a scale is
Out of the twelve notes available in an octave, a scale picks a handful and puts them in order. The choice decides the mood. Pick the notes of C major and a melody sounds bright; lower three of them and you have C natural minor, which sounds darker. Scales are also where chords come from: stack every other note of a scale and you get the chords of that key.
Scales are measured in half steps (one piano key or one guitar fret) and whole steps (two). The pattern of steps is what defines a scale type. The note you start on only decides which key it is in. That is why the same scale shape can be moved up and down a guitar neck.
The major scale formula
The major scale has seven notes, with half steps between the 3rd and 4th notes and between the 7th and the octave. Everywhere else the steps are whole steps: W W H W W W H. On the piano, start on C and play only white keys; the gaps between E and F and between B and C are the two half steps. Start on G and you need one black key, F♯, to keep the pattern: G A B C D E F♯. Start on F and you need B♭: F G A B♭ C D E.
The 12 scale types
Each type below is shown from C, with its step pattern (W = whole step, H = half step, W+H = a step and a half). Tap to hear it, or open the page for the full scale in any key.
Major scale
The reference scale. Bright and settled, the sound of most children's songs, hymns and pop melodies. Every other scale is usually described by how it differs from this one. From C: C D E F G A B. Steps: W W H W W W H.
Natural minor scale
The major scale with the 3rd, 6th and 7th lowered. Darker and more serious. It uses the same notes as the major scale three half steps above it (its relative major). From C: C D E♭ F G A♭ B♭. Steps: W H W W H W W.
Harmonic minor scale
Natural minor with the 7th raised back up. The raised 7th leaves a gap of three half steps between the 6th and 7th notes, which gives the scale its exotic, classical sound, and makes the V chord of a minor key major. From C: C D E♭ F G A♭ B. Steps: W H W W H W+H H.
Melodic minor scale
Natural minor with the 6th and 7th both raised, so it is a major scale with a lowered 3rd. Classical music uses it going up and plain natural minor coming down; jazz uses the raised form both ways. From C: C D E♭ F G A B. Steps: W H W W W W H.
Major pentatonic scale
Five notes: the major scale without its 4th and 7th. With no half steps, it is hard to hit a wrong note over the matching chords. Heard across country, folk and pop melodies. From C: C D E G A. Steps: W W W+H W W+H.
Minor pentatonic scale
Five notes: the natural minor scale without its 2nd and 6th. The first scale most guitarists learn for solos, and the core of rock and blues lead playing. From C: C E♭ F G B♭. Steps: W+H W W W+H W.
Blues scale
The minor pentatonic with one extra note, the lowered 5th, squeezed between the 4th and 5th. That passing note is the "blue note" that gives the scale its bite. From C: C E♭ F G♭ G B♭. Steps: W+H W H H W+H W.
Dorian mode
A minor scale with a major 6th. Less gloomy than natural minor, with a cool, slightly jazzy color. Common in funk, jazz, folk and rock jams. From C: C D E♭ F G A B♭. Steps: W H W W W H W.
Phrygian mode
A minor scale with a lowered 2nd. The half step right above the root gives a dark, Spanish or flamenco flavor, and it turns up in metal riffs. From C: C D♭ E♭ F G A♭ B♭. Steps: H W W W H W W.
Lydian mode
A major scale with a raised 4th. Bright and floating, often used in film music for a dreamy or magical sound. From C: C D E F♯ G A B. Steps: W W W H W W H.
Mixolydian mode
A major scale with a lowered 7th. Major but relaxed, with a bluesy edge. A lot of rock, folk and jam music sits in Mixolydian. From C: C D E F G A B♭. Steps: W W H W W H W.
Locrian mode
The darkest mode: its root triad is diminished, so it never quite feels like home. Mostly used for short tense passages and over half-diminished chords in jazz. From C: C D♭ E♭ F G♭ A♭ B♭. Steps: H W W H W W W.
All 144 scales
Rows are root notes, columns are scale types. Each link opens that scale with piano and guitar diagrams and audio. Where a scale is usually spelled with a different root name (for example, G♯ minor versus A♭ major), the link shows that spelling.
| Root | Major | Nat. minor | Harm. minor | Mel. minor | Maj. pent. | Min. pent. | Blues | Dorian | Phrygian | Lydian | Mixolyd. | Locrian |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C | C | C | C | C | C | C | C | C | C | C | C | C |
| D♭ / C♯ | D♭ | C♯ | C♯ | C♯ | D♭ | C♯ | C♯ | C♯ | C♯ | D♭ | C♯ | C♯ |
| D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D |
| E♭ | E♭ | E♭ | E♭ | E♭ | E♭ | E♭ | D♯ | E♭ | D♯ | E♭ | E♭ | D♯ |
| E | E | E | E | E | E | E | E | E | E | E | E | E |
| F | F | F | F | F | F | F | F | F | F | F | F | F |
| F♯ | F♯ | F♯ | F♯ | F♯ | F♯ | F♯ | F♯ | F♯ | F♯ | G♭ | F♯ | F♯ |
| G | G | G | G | G | G | G | G | G | G | G | G | G |
| A♭ / G♯ | A♭ | G♯ | A♭ | A♭ | A♭ | G♯ | G♯ | G♯ | G♯ | A♭ | A♭ | G♯ |
| A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A |
| B♭ | B♭ | B♭ | B♭ | B♭ | B♭ | B♭ | B♭ | B♭ | B♭ | B♭ | B♭ | A♯ |
| B | B | B | B | B | B | B | B | B | B | B | B | B |
How to practice scales
- Play one octave slowly, up and down, saying the note names. Speed comes later.
- Use a metronome at a comfortable tempo, one note per click, then two.
- On piano, learn the fingering: in C major the right hand thumb tucks under after E (fingers 1 2 3, then 1 2 3 4 5).
- On guitar, learn one box shape well before adding the next. The player above shows the box around the root.
- Play the scale over its home chord so you hear which notes feel settled and which want to move.
- Move the same pattern to a new key. On guitar that means sliding the shape; on piano, working out the black keys.
Related: the seven modes · keys · key signatures · circle of fifths · intervals · music theory basics
Scale questions
What is a scale in music?
A scale is a set of notes in order of pitch, starting and ending on the same letter. It defines which notes sound "right" in a piece of music. The major scale has seven notes, the pentatonic scales five, and the blues scale six.
How many musical scales are there?
Hundreds exist across the world's music, but most Western music draws on a dozen or so. This site covers the 12 most used types in all 12 keys, which makes 144 scale pages.
What is the formula for a major scale?
Whole, whole, half, whole, whole, whole, half (W W H W W W H). Start that pattern on any note and you get its major scale. From C it gives C D E F G A B.
Which scale should a beginner learn first?
On piano, C major, because it uses only white keys. On guitar, A minor pentatonic for soloing and G major for learning the fretboard.
What is the difference between a scale and a key?
A scale is the list of notes. A key is the scale used as the home base of a piece, with its home note and its chords. The key of G major uses the notes of the G major scale and has one sharp.
Are modes the same as scales?
Modes are scales. Each of the seven modes of the major scale uses the same notes as a major scale but starts on a different note, which moves the home note and changes the mood. See the modes page.
Every scale on this page is spelled and played by the site's theory engine. Updated September 2026.