List of musical scales and modes
The following is a list of musical scales and modes. Degrees are relative to the major scale.
Name | Image | Sound | Degrees | Intervals | # of pitch classes | Lower tetrachord | Upper tetrachord | Use of key signature usual or unusual |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
15 equal temperament | ![]() 15-tet scale on C. | ![]() | — | — | 15 | — | — | — |
16 equal temperament | ![]() 16-tet scale on C. | ![]() | — | — | 16 | — | — | — |
17 equal temperament | ![]() 17-tet scale on C. | ![]() | — | — | 17 | — | — | — |
19 equal temperament | ![]() 19-tet scale on C. | ![]() | — | — | 19 | — | — | — |
21 equal temperament | ![]() 21-tet scale on C. | ![]() | — | — | 21 | — | — | — |
Acoustic scale | ![]() Acoustic scale on C. | ![]() | 1 2 3 ♯4 5 6 ♭7 | W-W-W-H-W-H-W | 7 | whole tone | minor | |
Aeolian mode or natural minor scale | ![]() Aeolian on C. | ![]() | 1 2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7 | W-H-W-W-H-W-W | 7 | minor | Phrygian | Usual |
Algerian scale | ![]() Algerian scale on C. | ![]() | 1 2 ♭3 ♯4 5 ♭6 7 etc. | W-H-3H-H-H-3H-H-W-H-W | variable | — | — | |
Alpha scale | — | ![]() | — | — | 15.39 | — | — | — |
Altered scale or Super Locrian scale | ![]() Altered scale on C. | ![]() | 1 ♭2 ♭3 ♭4 ♭5 ♭6 ♭7 | H-W-H-W-W-W-W | 7 | diminished | whole tone | |
Augmented scale | ![]() Augmented scale on C. | ![]() | 1 ♭3 3 5 ♯5 7 | 3H-H-3H-H-3H-H | 6 | — | — | |
Bebop dominant scale | ![]() Bebop dominant scale on C. | ![]() | 1 2 3 4 5 6 ♭7 7 | W-W-H-W-W-H-H-H | 8 | — | — | |
Beta scale | — | ![]() | — | — | 18.75 | — | — | — |
Blues scale | ![]() Blues scale on C. | ![]() | 1 ♭3 4 ♭5 5 ♭7 | 3H-W-H-H-3H-W | 6 | — | — | |
Bohlen–Pierce scale | — | ![]() | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Chromatic scale | ![]() Chromatic scale on C. | ![]() | 1 ♯1 2 ♯2 3 4 ♯4 5 ♯5 6 ♯6 7 7 ♭7 6 ♭6 5 ♭5 4 3 ♭3 2 ♭2 1 |
H-H-H-H-H-H-H-H-H-H-H-H | 12 | — | — | — |
Delta scale | — | ![]() | — | — | 85.7 | — | — | — |
Dorian mode | ![]() Dorian on C. | ![]() | 1 2 ♭3 4 5 6 ♭7 | W-H-W-W-W-H-W | 7 | minor | minor | Usual |
Double harmonic scale | ![]() Double harmonic scale on C. | ![]() | 1 ♭2 3 4 5 ♭6 7 | H-3H-H-W-H-3H-H | 7 | harmonic | harmonic | Unusual |
Enigmatic scale | ![]() Enigmatic scale on C. | ![]() | 1 ♭2 3 ♯4 ♯5 ♯6 7 | H-3H-W-W-W-H-H | 7 | Unusual | ||
Euler–Fokker genus | ![]() Euler-Fokker genus 337 on C. | ![]() | — | — | 6 | — | — | — |
Flamenco mode | ![]() Flamenco mode on C. | ![]() | 1 ♭2 3 4 5 ♭6 7 | H-3H-H-W-H-3H-H | 7 | Phrygian | Phrygian | Unusual |
Gamma scale | — | ![]() | — | — | 34.29 | — | — | — |
"Gypsy" scale | ![]() "Gypsy" [sic] scale on C. | ![]() | 1 2 ♭3 ♯4 5 ♭6 ♭7 | W-H-3H-H-H-W-W | 7 | Gypsy | Phrygian | Unusual |
Half diminished scale | ![]() Half diminished scale on C. | ![]() | 1 2 ♭3 4 ♭5 ♭6 ♭7 | W-H-W-H-W-W-W | 7 | minor | whole tone | |
Harmonic major scale | ![]() Harmonic major scale on C. | ![]() | 1 2 3 4 5 ♭6 7 | W-W-H-W-H-3H-H | 7 | major | harmonic | |
Harmonic minor scale | ![]() Harmonic minor scale on C. | ![]() | 1 2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 (♮)7 | W-H-W-W-H-3H-H | 7 | minor | harmonic | |
Harmonic Scale | ![]() Harmonic scale chromatic on C. | ![]() | — | — | 144 | — | — | — |
Hexany | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Hirajoshi scale | ![]() Hirajoshi scale on C. | ![]() | 1 3 ♯4 5 7 | 2W-W-H-2W-H | 5 | — | — | — |
Hungarian "Gypsy" scale/Hungarian minor scale | ![]() Hungarian "Gypsy"[sic] scale on C. | ![]() | 1 2 ♭3 ♯4 5 ♭6 7 | W-H-3H-H-H-3H-H | 7 | Gypsy | harmonic | Unusual |
Hungarian major scale | ![]() Hungarian major scale on C. | ![]() | 1 ♯2 3 ♯4 5 6 ♭7 | 3H-H-W-H-W-H-W | 7 | — | minor | Unusual |
In scale | ![]() Miyako-bushi scale on D, equivalent to in scale on D, with brackets on fourths. |
![]() | 1 ♭2 4 5 ♭6 | H-2W-W-H-2W | 5 | — | — | |
Insen scale | ![]() Insen scale on C. | ![]() | 1 ♭2 4 5 ♭7 | H-2W-W-2W-W | 5 | — | — | — |
Ionian mode or major scale | ![]() Ionian on C. | ![]() | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 | W-W-H-W-W-W-H | 7 | major | major | Usual |
Istrian scale | ![]() Istrian mode on C. | ![]() | 1 ♭2 ♭3 ♭4 ♭5 5 | H-W-H-W- | 6 | diminished | — | — |
Iwato scale | ![]() Iwato scale on C. | ![]() | 1 ♭2 4 ♭5 ♭7 | H-2W-H-2W-W | 5 | — | — | — |
Locrian mode | ![]() Locrian on C. | ![]() | 1 ♭2 ♭3 4 ♭5 ♭6 ♭7 | H-W-W-H-W-W-W | 7 | Phrygian | whole tone | Usual |
Lydian augmented scale | ![]() Lydian augmented scale on C. | ![]() | 1 2 3 ♯4 ♯5 6 7 | W-W-W-W-H-W-H | 7 | whole tone | diminished | |
Lydian mode | ![]() Lydian on C. | ![]() | 1 2 3 ♯4 5 6 7 | W-W-W-H-W-W-H | 7 | whole tone | major | Usual |
Major bebop scale | ![]() Major bebop scale on C. | ![]() | 1 2 3 4 5 (♯5/♭6) 6 7 | W-W-H-W-(H-H)-W-H | 7(8) | — | — | |
Major Locrian scale | ![]() Major Locrian scale C. | ![]() | 1 2 3 4 ♭5 ♭6 ♭7 | W-W-H-H-W-W-W | 7 | major | whole tone | |
Major pentatonic scale | ![]() Major pentatonic scale on C. | ![]() | 1 2 3 5 6 | W-W-3H-W-3H | 5 | — | — | Usual |
Melodic minor scale | ![]() The A melodic minor scale, ascending and descending, on A. | ![]() | 1 2 ♭3 4 5 ♮6 ♮7 8 ♭7 ♭6 5 4 ♭3 2 1 | W-H-W-W-W-W-H (ascending)
W-W-H-W-W-H-W (descending) |
9 | minor | varies | |
Melodic minor scale (ascending) | ![]() Melodic minor scale ascending on A. | ![]() | 1 2 ♭3 4 5 6 7 | W-H-W-W-W-W-H | 7 | minor | major | |
Minor pentatonic scale | ![]() Minor pentatonic scale on A. | ![]() | 1 ♭3 4 5 ♭7 | 3H-W-W-3H-W | 5 | — | — | Usual |
Mixolydian mode or Adonai malakh mode | ![]() Mixolydian on C. | ![]() | 1 2 3 4 5 6 ♭7 | W-W-H-W-W-H-W | 7 | major | minor | Usual |
Neapolitan major scale | ![]() Neapolitan major scale on C. | ![]() | 1 ♭2 ♭3 4 5 6 7 | H-W-W-W-W-W-H | 7 | Phrygian | major | Unusual |
Neapolitan minor scale | ![]() Neapolitan minor scale on C. | ![]() | 1 ♭2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 7 | H-W-W-W-H-3H-H | 7 | Phrygian | harmonic | Unusual |
Non-Pythagorean scale | — | ![]() | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Octatonic scale | ![]() Octatonic scales on C. | ![]() | 1 2 ♭3 4 ♭5 ♭6 6 7
|
W-H-W-H-W-H-W-H
|
8 | — | — | |
Pelog | ![]() Pelog approximated in Western notation. | ![]() | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Persian scale | ![]() Persian scale on C. | ![]() | 1 ♭2 3 4 ♭5 ♭6 7 | H-3H-H-H-W-3H-H | 7 | harmonic | unusual | |
Phrygian dominant scale | ![]() Phrygian dominant on C. | ![]() | 1 ♭2 3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7 | H-3H-H-W-H-W-W | 7 | harmonic | Phrygian | Unusual |
Phrygian mode | ![]() Phrygian on C. | ![]() | 1 ♭2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7 | H-W-W-W-H-W-W | 7 | Phrygian | Phrygian | Usual |
Prometheus scale | ![]() Prometheus scale on C. | ![]() | 1 2 3 ♯4 6 ♭7 | W-W-W-3H-H-W | 6 | — | — | |
Quarter tone scale | ![]() Quarter tone scale C. | ![]() | 1 ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]()
|
Q-Q-Q-Q-Q-Q-Q-Q-Q-Q-Q-Q-Q-Q-Q-Q-Q-Q-Q-Q-Q-Q-Q-Q | 24 | — | — | — |
Scale of harmonics | ![]() Scale of harmonics C. | ![]() | 1 ♭3 3 4 5 6 | 3H-H-H-W-W-3H | — | — | — | — |
Slendro | ![]() Slendro on C compared to a whole tone scale on C. | ![]() ![]() | — | — | 5 | — | — | — |
Tritone scale | ![]() Tritone scale on C. | ![]() | 1 ♭2 3 ♭5 5 ♭7 | H-3H-W-H-3H-W | 6 | — | — | |
Two-semitone tritone scale | ![]() Two-semitone tritone scale on C. | ![]() | 1 ♭2 ♮2 ♯4 5 ♭6 | H-H-4H-H-H | 6 | — | — | |
Ukrainian Dorian scale | ![]() Ukrainian Dorian mode on C. | ![]() | 1 2 ♭3 ♯4 5 6 ♭7 | W-H-3H-H-W-H-W | 7 | Gypsy | minor | Unusual |
Vietnamese scale of harmonics | ![]() Vietnamese scale of harmonics on C. | ![]() | 1 ![]() |
5Q-Q-H-H-W | 6 | — | — | |
Whole tone scale | ![]() Whole tone scale on C. | ![]() | 1 2 3 ♯4 ♯5 ♯6 | W-W-W-W-W-W | 6 | — | — | |
Yo scale | ![]() Min'yō scale on D, equivalent to yo scale on C, with brackets on fourths. |
![]() | 1 ♭3 4 5 ♭7 | 3H-W-W-3H-W | 5 | — | — |
Tetrachords | Semitones | Letters |
---|---|---|
Chromatic | 1 1 1 | H-H-H |
Diminished | 1 2 1 | H-W-H |
Gypsy [sic] | 2 1 3 | W-H-3H |
Harmonic | 1 3 1 | H-3H-H |
Major | 2 2 1 | W-W-H |
Minor | 2 1 2 | W-H-W |
Phrygian/ Upper minor | 1 2 2 | H-W-W |
Whole tone | 2 2 2 | W-W-W |
See also
External links
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