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Scale Library

Explore every scale in every key - major, minor, modes, pentatonic, blues, exotic and more - with notes, formulas, diatonic chords and audio.

Scale Library

260+ scales in every key

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C Major

C D E F G A B · 7 notes

Root

Scale type

Short answer

A scale is an ordered set of notes that defines a key. Start with the major scale: every mode, key signature and diatonic chord on this site is described relative to it. That's why the formulas count from it: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 is major, and a ♭ or ♯ shows which note moves, so natural minor is 1 2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7.

Roots
21
Categories
7
Scale types
35
Pages
735

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735 scales
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Diatonic scales

Major21

Bright, stable and resolved. The starting point of Western tonal music.

Natural Minor21

Reflective and emotional. The default minor sound in pop, rock and folk.

Minor variants

Questions people ask

How do I pick the right scale for a song or solo?
Start from the song's key. Major key → use the major scale and its modes (Ionian, Dorian, Mixolydian work over most chords). Minor key → natural minor for sad/calm, harmonic minor for tension, melodic minor jazz over dominant chords. Pentatonic and blues scales work over almost any blues, rock or pop progression.
What's the difference between modes and scales?
Modes are scales built starting from each degree of the parent major scale. C Ionian, D Dorian, E Phrygian etc. all use the same notes, but each starts on a different one and produces a different feeling: Dorian sounds minor with a major sixth (jazzy), Mixolydian sounds major with a flat seventh (rock/blues).
Where do I practice ear-training for scales?
The Scale & Mode ID trainer plays scales and asks you to identify them by ear. Pair that with this library: read about a mode, click play to hear it ascending and descending, then test yourself in the trainer.