Scale Finder
Pick a root and a scale to see its notes, formula and step pattern on a piano and a guitar fretboard, the chords that belong to it, and hear it played. You can also type notes to find which scales contain them. It all runs in your browser.
Piano
Fretboard
Top line = highest string. Click any note on the piano or fretboard to hear it.
Chords in this scale
Which scale has these notes?
How to use the Scale Finder
- Choose a root note. Black keys are spelled automatically with the fewest accidentals; click again to switch between, say, F♯ and G♭.
- Select a scale from the list (major and minor, modes, pentatonic and blues, symmetric and other scales).
- Read the result: notes with their intervals, the formula, the step pattern and the key signature.
- Pick your instrument tuning and see every position of the scale on the fretboard; switch labels to intervals to learn the shapes.
- Press Play scale to hear it, or type notes under Which scale has these notes? and press Find scales.
Scale formulas
A scale formula lists each note's interval from the root, compared with the major scale. W = whole step (2 semitones), H = half step (1 semitone).
| Scale | Formula | Steps | In C |
|---|---|---|---|
| Major (Ionian) | 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 | 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♭ |
| Whole tone | 1 2 3 ♯4 ♯5 ♭7 | W W W W W W | C D E F♯ G♯ B♭ |
Relative and parallel keys
Every major scale shares its notes with a relative minor that starts on its 6th degree: C major and A minor, G major and E minor, F major and D minor. They have the same key signature. A parallel key shares the root instead: C major and C minor. Modes work the same way: G Mixolydian, A Aeolian and D Dorian all use the notes of C major, so the tool shows the parent major scale for each mode.
Practicing scales on the guitar
- Switch the labels to Intervals and look for the roots (R). The same shape repeats 12 frets higher.
- Learn the minor pentatonic in five connected boxes first; adding the ♭5 turns each box into the blues scale.
- Major and relative minor pentatonics (C major and A minor pentatonic) are the same five notes, so one fretboard pattern serves both.
- Play the scale slowly with the Metronome, and tune up with the Guitar Tuner or Bass Tuner before you start.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between natural, harmonic and melodic minor?
Natural minor (1 2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7) is the Aeolian mode. Harmonic minor raises the 7th (1 2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 7), giving a major V chord and the typical augmented-second step between ♭6 and 7. Melodic minor raises both the 6th and 7th going up (1 2 ♭3 4 5 6 7); in classical music it descends as natural minor, which the Up and down playback follows.
What are the seven modes?
The modes are the seven rotations of the major scale: Ionian (major), Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, Mixolydian, Aeolian (natural minor) and Locrian. D Dorian, for example, uses the same notes as C major but starts on D, which gives it a minor sound with a raised 6th.
Why does the scale use E♯ or C♭ instead of F or B?
In a seven-note scale each letter A to G appears exactly once. F♯ major therefore contains E♯ rather than F, and G♭ major contains C♭ rather than B. This spelling matches sheet music and key signatures, and makes the chords in the key easy to name.
How do I find which scale a melody uses?
Type the notes of the melody or riff in the Which scale has these notes? box, putting the note that feels like home first, and press Find scales. Exact matches are highlighted; shorter scales such as pentatonics are listed before larger scales that also contain the notes.
What is the difference between the minor pentatonic and the blues scale?
The minor pentatonic has five notes (1 ♭3 4 5 ♭7). The blues scale adds one passing note, the flat five or blue note (1 ♭3 4 ♭5 5 ♭7). In A that is A C D E G versus A C D E♭ E G.
Which chords fit a scale?
For seven-note scales the tool stacks thirds on each degree. In any major key the triads are I, ii, iii, IV, V, vi and vii°, so in C major: C, Dm, Em, F, G, Am and B°. The seventh-chord row adds Cmaj7, Dm7, Em7, Fmaj7, G7, Am7 and Bm7♭5.