Andrey Plays Accordion (Bayan)
Scale Reference
Scale formulas, note names, modes, and the relationships between major and minor keys.
A scale is an ordered set of notes built around a tonic, the note that sounds like home. Most scales repeat the tonic one octave higher.
How to read a scale formula
Scale degrees measure each note from the tonic. The major scale provides the reference:
1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 – 6 – 7 – 8
A flat lowers a degree by one semitone; a sharp raises it by one. For example, ♭3 means a minor 3rd above the tonic. W means a whole step (two semitones), and H means a half step (one semitone).
Common scales
| Scale | Formula | Step pattern | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Major | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 | W W H W W W H | C D E F G A B |
| Natural minor | 1 2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7 | W H W W H W W | A B C D E F G |
| Harmonic minor | 1 2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 7 | W H W W H 3H H | A B C D E F G♯ |
| Melodic minor | 1 2 ♭3 4 5 6 7 | W H W W W W H | A B C D E F♯ G♯ |
| Major pentatonic | 1 2 3 5 6 | W W 3H W 3H | C D E G A |
| Minor pentatonic | 1 ♭3 4 5 ♭7 | 3H W W 3H W | A C D E G |
| Blues | 1 ♭3 4 ♭5 5 ♭7 | 3H W H H 3H W | A C D E♭ E G |
| Whole tone | 1 2 3 ♯4 ♯5 ♭7 | W W W W W W | C D E F♯ G♯ B♭ |
| Chromatic | All 12 pitches | H H H H H H H H H H H H | C C♯ D D♯ E F F♯ G G♯ A A♯ B |
3H means three semitones. In classical music, melodic minor usually returns to natural minor when descending. Jazz melodic minor keeps the raised 6th and 7th in both directions.
Major keys and their relative minors
Each pair below uses the same seven notes. The tonic determines whether the music sounds major or minor.
| Major key | Major-scale notes | Relative minor | Natural-minor notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| C | C D E F G A B | A minor | A B C D E F G |
| D♭ | D♭ E♭ F G♭ A♭ B♭ C | B♭ minor | B♭ C D♭ E♭ F G♭ A♭ |
| D | D E F♯ G A B C♯ | B minor | B C♯ D E F♯ G A |
| E♭ | E♭ F G A♭ B♭ C D | C minor | C D E♭ F G A♭ B♭ |
| E | E F♯ G♯ A B C♯ D♯ | C♯ minor | C♯ D♯ E F♯ G♯ A B |
| F | F G A B♭ C D E | D minor | D E F G A B♭ C |
| G♭ | G♭ A♭ B♭ C♭ D♭ E♭ F | E♭ minor | E♭ F G♭ A♭ B♭ C♭ D♭ |
| G | G A B C D E F♯ | E minor | E F♯ G A B C D |
| A♭ | A♭ B♭ C D♭ E♭ F G | F minor | F G A♭ B♭ C D♭ E♭ |
| A | A B C♯ D E F♯ G♯ | F♯ minor | F♯ G♯ A B C♯ D E |
| B♭ | B♭ C D E♭ F G A | G minor | G A B♭ C D E♭ F |
| B | B C♯ D♯ E F♯ G♯ A♯ | G♯ minor | G♯ A♯ B C♯ D♯ E F♯ |
The seven modes
The modes use the same major-scale interval pattern but place the tonic on a different degree. The examples below all use the notes of C major.
| Mode | Formula | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Ionian (major) | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 | C D E F G A B |
| Dorian | 1 2 ♭3 4 5 6 ♭7 | D E F G A B C |
| Phrygian | 1 ♭2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7 | E F G A B C D |
| Lydian | 1 2 3 ♯4 5 6 7 | F G A B C D E |
| Mixolydian | 1 2 3 4 5 6 ♭7 | G A B C D E F |
| Aeolian (natural minor) | 1 2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7 | A B C D E F G |
| Locrian | 1 ♭2 ♭3 4 ♭5 ♭6 ♭7 | B C D E F G A |
How scales relate
- Relative scales share notes but have different tonics. C major and A minor are relative.
- Parallel scales share a tonic but use different notes. C major and C minor are parallel.
- Modes rotate one note collection around a new tonic. D Dorian uses the notes of C major but treats D as home.
- Transposition moves one scale formula to a new tonic. C major and D major sound structurally alike, but every note in D major is two semitones higher.
- Minor variants change the upper notes of natural minor. Harmonic minor raises the 7th; melodic minor raises the 6th and 7th.
Chords from a scale
Build a triad by taking a scale degree, skipping the next note, and taking the following note twice. In C major, this gives C–E–G. Repeating the process on each degree produces:
| Scale | I | II | III | IV | V | VI | VII |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Major | major | minor | minor | major | major | minor | diminished |
| Natural minor | minor | diminished | major | minor | minor | major | major |
See the chord reference for seventh chords and other scale types.