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Music Theory

Types of Musical Scales

A musical scale is an ordered series of notes within an octave, arranged in a fixed pattern of whole steps (UK: tones) and half steps (UK: semitones). There are many types of scales. They differ in how many notes they have and in their pattern of intervals. This page lists every scale in the dictionary, grouped by family.

Diatonic scales (7 notes)

These are the most widely used scales in Western music: seven notes per octave with a specific pattern of whole steps and half steps. Keys are built from them.

M
Major scales
Pattern W-W-H-W-W-W-H. The most important scale; this section covers four types (natural, Mixolydian, harmonic major and melodic major).
m
Minor scales
A darker sound. Four types: natural, harmonic, melodic and Dorian.

The modes

Modes are scales you get by starting and resting on each degree of a diatonic scale in turn.

Δ
Greek modes
Ionian, Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, Mixolydian, Aeolian and Locrian.
✝
Gregorian (church) modes
The church modes of medieval liturgical chant.

Pentatonic and blues scales

Scales with fewer notes, common in folk music, rock, jazz and blues.

5
Pentatonic scale
Five notes per octave, with no half steps. Major and minor.
♭
Blues scale
The minor pentatonic scale with the added "blue note"; the heart of the blues.

Symmetrical scales

These divide the octave into equal parts, so they sound ambiguous and "floating".

12
Chromatic scale
All twelve notes in the octave, each a half step apart.
T
Whole-tone scale
Six notes, each a whole step apart; a dreamlike sound.

Color scales

Scales with characteristic intervals that give them a particular flavor.

♯
Oriental scale
The Hungarian minor scale and its variants; the typical "oriental" color.
♭
Spanish-Arabic scale
The Phrygian dominant scale, the sound of flamenco and Andalusian music.

To understand how any scale is built, review whole steps and half steps and the scale degrees.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a musical scale?
A musical scale is an ordered series of notes within an octave, arranged in a fixed pattern of whole steps and half steps. It is the basis on which melodies and harmonies are built.
How many types of musical scales are there?
There are many, and they fall into families: diatonic scales (major and minor with their variants), modes (Greek and church modes), pentatonic and blues scales, symmetrical scales (chromatic and whole-tone) and color scales such as the oriental and Spanish-Arabic scales.
What is the most important scale?
The major scale is the most important in Western music. Most classical and popular music is built on it, and keys are derived from it. The minor scale is its darker-sounding counterpart.
What is the difference between a diatonic and a symmetrical scale?
A diatonic scale (such as major or minor) has seven notes in an uneven pattern of whole steps and half steps, which creates a tonal hierarchy. A symmetrical scale (such as the chromatic or whole-tone scale) divides the octave into equal parts, so it sounds ambiguous and has no clear tonal center.