Music Scales
Music scales, every key.
A scale is the pool of notes a melody draws from — pick the pool and you have picked the mood. Below are 107 scales across 13 families, each with its notes, its interval formula, the chords it builds, audio, and 373 guitar fretboard patterns between them.
The seven-note foundation
Major (Ionian) scales
The default. Nursery rhymes, pop choruses, and almost every melody you already know.
Formula 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 · 5 · 6 · 7 — sounds bright, settled — 12 keys
C
Major Scale
5 guitar patterns
C♯
Major Scale
5 guitar patterns
D
Major Scale
5 guitar patterns
E♭
Major Scale
5 guitar patterns
E
Major Scale
5 guitar patterns
F
Major Scale
5 guitar patterns
F♯
Major Scale
5 guitar patterns
G
Major Scale
5 guitar patterns
A♭
Major Scale
5 guitar patterns
A
Major Scale
5 guitar patterns
B♭
Major Scale
5 guitar patterns
B
Major Scale
5 guitar patterns
The seven-note foundation
Natural Minor (Aeolian) scales
The sad one. Same seven notes as its relative major, started three semitones lower.
Formula 1 · 2 · ♭3 · 4 · 5 · ♭6 · ♭7 — sounds dark, wistful — 12 keys
C
Natural Minor Scale
5 guitar patterns
C♯
Natural Minor Scale
5 guitar patterns
D
Natural Minor Scale
5 guitar patterns
E♭
Natural Minor Scale
5 guitar patterns
E
Natural Minor Scale
5 guitar patterns
F
Natural Minor Scale
5 guitar patterns
F♯
Natural Minor Scale
5 guitar patterns
G
Natural Minor Scale
5 guitar patterns
A♭
Natural Minor Scale
5 guitar patterns
A
Natural Minor Scale
5 guitar patterns
B♭
Natural Minor Scale
5 guitar patterns
B
Natural Minor Scale
5 guitar patterns
Minor with a raised leading tone
Harmonic Minor scales
Minor with a raised 7th — the sound of classical cadences and metal neoclassicism.
Formula 1 · 2 · ♭3 · 4 · 5 · ♭6 · 7 — sounds tense, exotic — 12 keys
C
Harmonic Minor Scale
2 guitar patterns
C♯
Harmonic Minor Scale
2 guitar patterns
D
Harmonic Minor Scale
2 guitar patterns
E♭
Harmonic Minor Scale
2 guitar patterns
E
Harmonic Minor Scale
2 guitar patterns
F
Harmonic Minor Scale
2 guitar patterns
F♯
Harmonic Minor Scale
2 guitar patterns
G
Harmonic Minor Scale
2 guitar patterns
A♭
Harmonic Minor Scale
2 guitar patterns
A
Harmonic Minor Scale
2 guitar patterns
B♭
Harmonic Minor Scale
2 guitar patterns
B
Harmonic Minor Scale
2 guitar patterns
The jazz minor
Melodic Minor scales
Jazz minor. Minor 3rd with a major 6th and 7th on top.
Formula 1 · 2 · ♭3 · 4 · 5 · 6 · 7 — sounds modern, unsettled-bright — 12 keys
C
Melodic Minor Scale
2 guitar patterns
C♯
Melodic Minor Scale
2 guitar patterns
D
Melodic Minor Scale
2 guitar patterns
E♭
Melodic Minor Scale
2 guitar patterns
E
Melodic Minor Scale
2 guitar patterns
F
Melodic Minor Scale
2 guitar patterns
F♯
Melodic Minor Scale
2 guitar patterns
G
Melodic Minor Scale
2 guitar patterns
A♭
Melodic Minor Scale
2 guitar patterns
A
Melodic Minor Scale
2 guitar patterns
B♭
Melodic Minor Scale
2 guitar patterns
B
Melodic Minor Scale
2 guitar patterns
Five notes, nothing to avoid
Major Pentatonic scales
Five notes that never clash — country, folk, and every campfire lead.
Formula 1 · 2 · 3 · 5 · 6 — sounds open, cheerful — 12 keys
C
Major Pentatonic Scale
5 guitar patterns
C♯
Major Pentatonic Scale
5 guitar patterns
D
Major Pentatonic Scale
5 guitar patterns
E♭
Major Pentatonic Scale
5 guitar patterns
E
Major Pentatonic Scale
5 guitar patterns
F
Major Pentatonic Scale
5 guitar patterns
F♯
Major Pentatonic Scale
5 guitar patterns
G
Major Pentatonic Scale
5 guitar patterns
A♭
Major Pentatonic Scale
5 guitar patterns
A
Major Pentatonic Scale
5 guitar patterns
B♭
Major Pentatonic Scale
5 guitar patterns
B
Major Pentatonic Scale
5 guitar patterns
Five notes, nothing to avoid
Minor Pentatonic scales
The rock and blues workhorse. If you learn one scale on guitar, learn this one.
Formula 1 · ♭3 · 4 · 5 · ♭7 — sounds bluesy, gritty — 12 keys
C
Minor Pentatonic Scale
5 guitar patterns
C♯
Minor Pentatonic Scale
5 guitar patterns
D
Minor Pentatonic Scale
5 guitar patterns
E♭
Minor Pentatonic Scale
5 guitar patterns
E
Minor Pentatonic Scale
5 guitar patterns
F
Minor Pentatonic Scale
5 guitar patterns
F♯
Minor Pentatonic Scale
5 guitar patterns
G
Minor Pentatonic Scale
5 guitar patterns
A♭
Minor Pentatonic Scale
5 guitar patterns
A
Minor Pentatonic Scale
5 guitar patterns
B♭
Minor Pentatonic Scale
5 guitar patterns
B
Minor Pentatonic Scale
5 guitar patterns
Five notes plus the blue one
Blues Scale scales
Minor pentatonic plus the ♭5 — the note that makes it sound like the blues.
Formula 1 · ♭3 · 4 · ♭5 · 5 · ♭7 — sounds growling, vocal — 5 keys
The seven rotations of the major scale
Dorian Mode scales
Minor with a bright 6th — funk vamps, modal jazz, and Santana.
Formula 1 · 2 · ♭3 · 4 · 5 · 6 · ♭7 — sounds cool, jazzy — 5 keys
The seven rotations of the major scale
Phrygian Mode scales
Minor with a ♭2 — flamenco, Spanish guitar, and a lot of metal riffing.
Formula 1 · ♭2 · ♭3 · 4 · 5 · ♭6 · ♭7 — sounds spanish, menacing — 5 keys
The seven rotations of the major scale
Lydian Mode scales
Major with a raised 4th — film scores and anything that should feel like wonder.
Formula 1 · 2 · 3 · ♯4 · 5 · 6 · 7 — sounds dreamy, floating — 5 keys
The seven rotations of the major scale
Mixolydian Mode scales
Major with a ♭7 — dominant chords, blues-rock, and jam-band vamps.
Formula 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 · 5 · 6 · ♭7 — sounds bluesy major — 5 keys
The seven rotations of the major scale
Locrian Mode scales
The unstable one — a ♭2 and a ♭5 mean it has no stable home chord.
Formula 1 · ♭2 · ♭3 · 4 · ♭5 · ♭6 · ♭7 — sounds unstable, uneasy — 5 keys
Built from symmetry, not from a key
Whole Tone scales
Six notes, all a whole step apart — dream sequences and augmented harmony.
Formula 1 · 2 · 3 · ♯4 · ♯5 · ♭7 — sounds weightless, blurred — 5 keys