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Scale Library

Pick a root and a scale to see its notes on piano and guitar, hear it, and get the chords in the key.

Root

Scale

Scale

C major

Out
  1. C1
  2. D2
  3. E3
  4. F4
  5. G5
  6. A6
  7. B7

Piano

CDEFGABC

Guitar fretboard, frets 0 to 12 (high e on top)

EFGABCDEBCDEFGABGABCDEFGDEFGABCDABCDEFGAEFGABCDE357912

Chords in this scale

How to read a scale formula

  1. 1

    Numbers are steps of the major scale

    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 is the major scale. Every other scale is written as changes to it.

  2. 2

    ♭ and ♯ change one note

    ♭3 means the third is a semitone lower than in the major scale. Natural minor is 1 2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7.

  3. 3

    The root is lime

    On the piano and fretboard, lime marks every root note. Start and end your phrases on it to hear the scale clearly.

Which scale to use

  • Major and natural minor

    The base of most pop, rock, hip-hop and EDM. Natural minor is the same notes as the major key three semitones up, for example A minor and C major.

  • Harmonic minor

    Natural minor with a raised 7th. This gives a major V chord, which pulls strongly back to the minor i chord.

  • Melodic minor

    Natural minor with a raised 6th and 7th. In classical music it is used going up; jazz uses it in both directions. This tool shows the ascending form.

  • Modes

    Dorian (minor with a major 6th) suits funk and soul. Mixolydian (major with a ♭7) suits rock and blues. Lydian (♯4) sounds bright and floating. Phrygian (♭2) sounds dark and Spanish. Locrian (♭2 and ♭5) is rarely used as a home key.

  • Pentatonic and blues

    Five-note scales with no half steps that clash, so they are easy for solos and melodies. The blues scale adds the ♭5 to minor pentatonic.

Chords in the key

  • Built from the scale

    Each chord stacks every other note of the scale: 1 3 5, 2 4 6, and so on. That is why the chords in a key always fit together.

  • Roman numerals

    Upper case is a major chord, lower case is minor, ° is diminished and + is augmented. In C major: I C, ii Dm, iii Em, IV F, V G, vi Am, vii° Bdim.

  • Pentatonic and blues

    These scales have fewer than seven notes, so the tool lists the chords of the parent major or minor key instead.

Questions about the scale library

Why does the tool show D♭ major instead of C♯ major?

Each scale is spelled with one letter per note. For black-key roots the tool picks the spelling with fewer sharps or flats: D♭ major has 5 flats, C♯ major has 7 sharps.

What is the difference between Ionian and major, or Aeolian and natural minor?

None in the notes. Ionian is the mode name for the major scale and Aeolian is the mode name for natural minor. They are listed both ways so you can find them under either name.

How do I play a scale on guitar from the fretboard?

Pick a lime root on the low E or A string and play the marked notes on nearby frets, moving across the strings. Most scales fit in a four or five fret area around any root.

Why does the blues scale show two 5ths?

The blues scale contains both the ♭5 and the 5. The ♭5 is usually played as a passing note between the 4 and the 5.

Is the scale library free?

Yes. It runs in your browser with no account. The playback is made with the Web Audio API on your device.

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