catalogue

Every scale and mode

22 scales on 17 tonics. Each is spelled the way a musician writes it — one letter per degree — which is why G♭ major reads G♭ A♭ B♭ C♭ D♭ E♭ F and not a B.

guitar ukulele piano

17 × 22

	maj	min	harm min	mel min	harm maj	dor	phr	lyd	mix	loc	phr dom	lyd dom	alt	maj pent	min pent	blues	maj blues	w.t.	dim W-H	dim H-W	dbl harm	hung min
C	C maj	C min	C harm min	C mel min	C harm maj	C dor	C phr	C lyd	C mix	C loc	C phr dom	C lyd dom	C alt	C maj pent	C min pent	C blues	C maj blues	C w.t.	C dim W-H	C dim H-W	C dbl harm	C hung min
C♯	C♯ maj	C♯ min	C♯ harm min	C♯ mel min	C♯ harm maj	C♯ dor	C♯ phr	C♯ lyd	C♯ mix	C♯ loc	C♯ phr dom	C♯ lyd dom	C♯ alt	C♯ maj pent	C♯ min pent	C♯ blues	C♯ maj blues	C♯ w.t.	C♯ dim W-H	C♯ dim H-W	C♯ dbl harm	C♯ hung min
D♭	D♭ maj	D♭ min	D♭ harm min	D♭ mel min	D♭ harm maj	D♭ dor	D♭ phr	D♭ lyd	D♭ mix	D♭ loc	D♭ phr dom	D♭ lyd dom	D♭ alt	D♭ maj pent	D♭ min pent	D♭ blues	D♭ maj blues	D♭ w.t.	D♭ dim W-H	D♭ dim H-W	D♭ dbl harm	D♭ hung min
D	D maj	D min	D harm min	D mel min	D harm maj	D dor	D phr	D lyd	D mix	D loc	D phr dom	D lyd dom	D alt	D maj pent	D min pent	D blues	D maj blues	D w.t.	D dim W-H	D dim H-W	D dbl harm	D hung min
D♯	D♯ maj	D♯ min	D♯ harm min	D♯ mel min	D♯ harm maj	D♯ dor	D♯ phr	D♯ lyd	D♯ mix	D♯ loc	D♯ phr dom	D♯ lyd dom	D♯ alt	D♯ maj pent	D♯ min pent	D♯ blues	D♯ maj blues	D♯ w.t.	D♯ dim W-H	D♯ dim H-W	D♯ dbl harm	D♯ hung min
E♭	E♭ maj	E♭ min	E♭ harm min	E♭ mel min	E♭ harm maj	E♭ dor	E♭ phr	E♭ lyd	E♭ mix	E♭ loc	E♭ phr dom	E♭ lyd dom	E♭ alt	E♭ maj pent	E♭ min pent	E♭ blues	E♭ maj blues	E♭ w.t.	E♭ dim W-H	E♭ dim H-W	E♭ dbl harm	E♭ hung min
E	E maj	E min	E harm min	E mel min	E harm maj	E dor	E phr	E lyd	E mix	E loc	E phr dom	E lyd dom	E alt	E maj pent	E min pent	E blues	E maj blues	E w.t.	E dim W-H	E dim H-W	E dbl harm	E hung min
F	F maj	F min	F harm min	F mel min	F harm maj	F dor	F phr	F lyd	F mix	F loc	F phr dom	F lyd dom	F alt	F maj pent	F min pent	F blues	F maj blues	F w.t.	F dim W-H	F dim H-W	F dbl harm	F hung min
F♯	F♯ maj	F♯ min	F♯ harm min	F♯ mel min	F♯ harm maj	F♯ dor	F♯ phr	F♯ lyd	F♯ mix	F♯ loc	F♯ phr dom	F♯ lyd dom	F♯ alt	F♯ maj pent	F♯ min pent	F♯ blues	F♯ maj blues	F♯ w.t.	F♯ dim W-H	F♯ dim H-W	F♯ dbl harm	F♯ hung min
G♭	G♭ maj	G♭ min	G♭ harm min	G♭ mel min	G♭ harm maj	G♭ dor	G♭ phr	G♭ lyd	G♭ mix	G♭ loc	G♭ phr dom	G♭ lyd dom	G♭ alt	G♭ maj pent	G♭ min pent	G♭ blues	G♭ maj blues	G♭ w.t.	G♭ dim W-H	G♭ dim H-W	G♭ dbl harm	G♭ hung min
G	G maj	G min	G harm min	G mel min	G harm maj	G dor	G phr	G lyd	G mix	G loc	G phr dom	G lyd dom	G alt	G maj pent	G min pent	G blues	G maj blues	G w.t.	G dim W-H	G dim H-W	G dbl harm	G hung min
G♯	G♯ maj	G♯ min	G♯ harm min	G♯ mel min	G♯ harm maj	G♯ dor	G♯ phr	G♯ lyd	G♯ mix	G♯ loc	G♯ phr dom	G♯ lyd dom	G♯ alt	G♯ maj pent	G♯ min pent	G♯ blues	G♯ maj blues	G♯ w.t.	G♯ dim W-H	G♯ dim H-W	G♯ dbl harm	G♯ hung min
A♭	A♭ maj	A♭ min	A♭ harm min	A♭ mel min	A♭ harm maj	A♭ dor	A♭ phr	A♭ lyd	A♭ mix	A♭ loc	A♭ phr dom	A♭ lyd dom	A♭ alt	A♭ maj pent	A♭ min pent	A♭ blues	A♭ maj blues	A♭ w.t.	A♭ dim W-H	A♭ dim H-W	A♭ dbl harm	A♭ hung min
A	A maj	A min	A harm min	A mel min	A harm maj	A dor	A phr	A lyd	A mix	A loc	A phr dom	A lyd dom	A alt	A maj pent	A min pent	A blues	A maj blues	A w.t.	A dim W-H	A dim H-W	A dbl harm	A hung min
A♯	A♯ maj	A♯ min	A♯ harm min	A♯ mel min	A♯ harm maj	A♯ dor	A♯ phr	A♯ lyd	A♯ mix	A♯ loc	A♯ phr dom	A♯ lyd dom	A♯ alt	A♯ maj pent	A♯ min pent	A♯ blues	A♯ maj blues	A♯ w.t.	A♯ dim W-H	A♯ dim H-W	A♯ dbl harm	A♯ hung min
B♭	B♭ maj	B♭ min	B♭ harm min	B♭ mel min	B♭ harm maj	B♭ dor	B♭ phr	B♭ lyd	B♭ mix	B♭ loc	B♭ phr dom	B♭ lyd dom	B♭ alt	B♭ maj pent	B♭ min pent	B♭ blues	B♭ maj blues	B♭ w.t.	B♭ dim W-H	B♭ dim H-W	B♭ dbl harm	B♭ hung min
B	B maj	B min	B harm min	B mel min	B harm maj	B dor	B phr	B lyd	B mix	B loc	B phr dom	B lyd dom	B alt	B maj pent	B min pent	B blues	B maj blues	B w.t.	B dim W-H	B dim H-W	B dbl harm	B hung min

The 22 scales

C majorThe seven-note scale everything else is measured against: two whole steps, a half, three whole steps, a half.C natural minorThe major scale started from its sixth degree: same seven notes, a different centre of gravity.C harmonic minorNatural minor with the seventh raised, which buys a leading note and pays for it with a step and a half between the sixth and seventh.C melodic minorMinor third, major sixth and seventh — the ascending form, and the parent of most of the altered sounds below.C harmonic majorMajor with a flattened sixth: the mirror of harmonic minor, and the reason a major key can borrow a minor subdominant.C DorianMinor with a natural sixth. The second mode of the major scale.C PhrygianMinor with a flattened second — the half step right above the tonic is the whole character.C LydianMajor with a raised fourth. The fourth mode of the major scale.C MixolydianMajor with a flattened seventh: the scale that fits a dominant seventh chord without altering it.C LocrianThe only mode of the major scale whose fifth is diminished, which is why its tonic chord cannot rest.C Phrygian dominantThe fifth mode of harmonic minor: a flat second over a major third, so the step from the second to the third is a step and a half.C Lydian dominantRaised fourth and flattened seventh at once — the fourth mode of melodic minor.C alteredThe seventh mode of melodic minor. Every degree above the tonic that can be altered, is.C major pentatonicThe major scale without its two half steps. Five notes, and no pair of them a half step apart.C minor pentatonicMajor pentatonic started from its fifth note. The first scale most guitarists learn.C bluesMinor pentatonic with one note squeezed in between the fourth and the fifth. It is written as a flattened fifth, so the fifth letter carries both of them and the fourth keeps its own.C major bluesMajor pentatonic with a flattened third added next to the third — the two live side by side rather than replacing each other.C whole toneSix notes, every step a whole one. There are only two of these scales in all, and every note can be heard as the tonic.C diminished (whole–half)Eight notes alternating whole step and half step. Symmetrical, so it repeats every minor third.C diminished (half–whole)The same eight notes started a half step earlier: the scale that spells a dominant seventh with a flat ninth and a sharp ninth at once.C double harmonicTwo augmented seconds in one scale, one above the tonic and one below the octave.C Hungarian minorHarmonic minor with a raised fourth, which puts a second augmented second in the middle of the scale.