Scales for Piano and Guitar: The Complete Reference Guide

Scales are the raw material of music. Every melody you hum, every chord progression you play, and every solo you improvise draws from a scale of some kind. Whether you play piano, guitar, or any other instrument, knowing your scales unlocks the ability to understand, compose, and perform music with confidence.

This page is a single reference for the twelve most important scale types and modes in Western music. Each section explains what makes the scale distinctive and lists the notes for all twelve keys. Click any key name to read a detailed guide covering that scale’s intervals, diatonic chords, practical tips, and more.

What Is a Scale?

A scale is a set of notes arranged in ascending or descending order within one octave. The specific intervals — the distances between each note — define the scale’s sound and character. A major scale sounds bright and resolved. A natural minor scale sounds darker and more reflective. Change even one interval and the entire mood shifts.

Scales are not just exercises for warming up. They are the foundation of harmony: every chord in a key comes from stacking notes of that key’s scale. Understanding scales means understanding why certain chords sound good together, which notes to play over a given progression, and how to transpose music into any key.

How to Read the Tables

Each table below lists a scale in all twelve keys. The Key column names the scale and links to a dedicated article with full details — intervals, chords, fingerings, and practice advice. The Notes column shows every note in that scale from root to the note just below the octave.

Sharps (♯) and flats (♭) appear wherever the scale’s interval pattern demands them. In a handful of keys you may see a double sharp (𝄪), which raises a note by two half steps. These spellings follow standard music theory conventions so that every scale degree has its own letter name.

Major Scale

The major scale is the cornerstone of Western music. Its interval pattern — W – W – H – W – W – W – H (whole step, whole step, half step, whole step, whole step, whole step, half step) — produces a bright, stable sound that most people recognise as “happy.” Every other scale and mode on this page can be understood as a variation of the major scale.

If you are new to scales, start here. The major scale teaches you how intervals work and forms the basis for understanding chords, modes, and key signatures. For a deeper explanation, see Understanding the Major Scale.

Key	Notes
C major	C – D – E – F – G – A – B
G major	G – A – B – C – D – E – F♯
D major	D – E – F♯ – G – A – B – C♯
A major	A – B – C♯ – D – E – F♯ – G♯
E major	E – F♯ – G♯ – A – B – C♯ – D♯
B major	B – C♯ – D♯ – E – F♯ – G♯ – A♯
F♯ major	F♯ – G♯ – A♯ – B – C♯ – D♯ – E♯
F major	F – G – A – B♭ – C – D – E
B♭ major	B♭ – C – D – E♭ – F – G – A
E♭ major	E♭ – F – G – A♭ – B♭ – C – D
A♭ major	A♭ – B♭ – C – D♭ – E♭ – F – G
D♭ major	D♭ – E♭ – F – G♭ – A♭ – B♭ – C

Natural Minor Scale

The natural minor scale is the major scale’s darker counterpart. Its interval pattern is W – H – W – W – H – W – W, which produces the characteristic “sad” or “serious” quality heard across classical, rock, pop, and film music. Every major key has a relative minor that shares the same notes but starts on the 6th degree — for example, A minor is the relative minor of C major.

The natural minor also serves as the starting point for two important variants: the harmonic minor and the melodic minor, both covered below. For a thorough comparison of all three minor scales, see Minor Scales: Natural, Harmonic, and Melodic.

Key	Notes
A minor	A – B – C – D – E – F – G
E minor	E – F♯ – G – A – B – C – D
B minor	B – C♯ – D – E – F♯ – G – A
F♯ minor	F♯ – G♯ – A – B – C♯ – D – E
C♯ minor	C♯ – D♯ – E – F♯ – G♯ – A – B
G♯ minor	G♯ – A♯ – B – C♯ – D♯ – E – F♯
D minor	D – E – F – G – A – B♭ – C
G minor	G – A – B♭ – C – D – E♭ – F
C minor	C – D – E♭ – F – G – A♭ – B♭
F minor	F – G – A♭ – B♭ – C – D♭ – E♭
B♭ minor	B♭ – C – D♭ – E♭ – F – G♭ – A♭
E♭ minor	E♭ – F – G♭ – A♭ – B♭ – C♭ – D♭

Harmonic Minor Scale

The harmonic minor scale takes the natural minor and raises the 7th degree by a half step. Its interval pattern is W – H – W – W – H – 3H – H, where the “3H” represents the augmented second (three half steps) between the 6th and 7th degrees. That wide gap gives the harmonic minor its distinctive, almost Middle Eastern flavour and creates a strong pull from the 7th degree back to the root.

Raising the 7th also changes the diatonic chords: the v chord becomes a major V, giving the minor key a dominant chord that resolves firmly to the tonic — the same tension and resolution found in major keys. This is why the harmonic minor is essential for classical harmony and is widely used in metal, flamenco, and film scoring.

Key	Notes
A harmonic minor	A – B – C – D – E – F – G♯
E harmonic minor	E – F♯ – G – A – B – C – D♯
B harmonic minor	B – C♯ – D – E – F♯ – G – A♯
F♯ harmonic minor	F♯ – G♯ – A – B – C♯ – D – E♯
C♯ harmonic minor	C♯ – D♯ – E – F♯ – G♯ – A – B♯
G♯ harmonic minor	G♯ – A♯ – B – C♯ – D♯ – E – F𝄪
D harmonic minor	D – E – F – G – A – B♭ – C♯
G harmonic minor	G – A – B♭ – C – D – E♭ – F♯
C harmonic minor	C – D – E♭ – F – G – A♭ – B
F harmonic minor	F – G – A♭ – B♭ – C – D♭ – E
B♭ harmonic minor	B♭ – C – D♭ – E♭ – F – G♭ – A
E♭ harmonic minor	E♭ – F – G♭ – A♭ – B♭ – C♭ – D

Note: G♯ harmonic minor contains F𝄪 (F double sharp), which sounds the same as G but is spelled this way to preserve the convention of one letter name per scale degree.

Melodic Minor Scale

The melodic minor scale raises both the 6th and 7th degrees of the natural minor, eliminating the awkward augmented second found in the harmonic minor. The ascending pattern is W – H – W – W – W – W – H. In classical practice the scale reverts to natural minor when descending, but in jazz and contemporary music the ascending form is used in both directions.

The melodic minor is sometimes described as a major scale with a flattened 3rd, which is a useful way to remember it. It produces a smoother, more sophisticated minor sound and serves as the parent scale for several important jazz modes including the Lydian Dominant and the Altered scale.

Key	Notes
A melodic minor	A – B – C – D – E – F♯ – G♯
E melodic minor	E – F♯ – G – A – B – C♯ – D♯
B melodic minor	B – C♯ – D – E – F♯ – G♯ – A♯
F♯ melodic minor	F♯ – G♯ – A – B – C♯ – D♯ – E♯
C♯ melodic minor	C♯ – D♯ – E – F♯ – G♯ – A♯ – B♯
G♯ melodic minor	G♯ – A♯ – B – C♯ – D♯ – E♯ – F𝄪
D melodic minor	D – E – F – G – A – B – C♯
G melodic minor	G – A – B♭ – C – D – E – F♯
C melodic minor	C – D – E♭ – F – G – A – B
F melodic minor	F – G – A♭ – B♭ – C – D – E
B♭ melodic minor	B♭ – C – D♭ – E♭ – F – G – A
E♭ melodic minor	E♭ – F – G♭ – A♭ – B♭ – C – D

Note: these are the ascending (jazz) forms. In classical contexts the scale descends as a natural minor.

Major Pentatonic Scale

The major pentatonic removes the 4th and 7th degrees from the major scale, leaving five notes with no half steps between them. The result is a warm, open sound that fits over almost any major-key chord progression without clashing. Country, folk, pop, gospel, and world music traditions all lean heavily on the major pentatonic.

Because there are no half steps, there are no “avoid” notes — every note blends smoothly with the tonic chord. This makes the major pentatonic an ideal starting point for improvisation. For a deeper look at pentatonic applications across genres, see Pentatonic Scales for Improvisation.

Key	Notes
C major pentatonic	C – D – E – G – A
G major pentatonic	G – A – B – D – E
D major pentatonic	D – E – F♯ – A – B
A major pentatonic	A – B – C♯ – E – F♯
E major pentatonic	E – F♯ – G♯ – B – C♯
B major pentatonic	B – C♯ – D♯ – F♯ – G♯
F♯ major pentatonic	F♯ – G♯ – A♯ – C♯ – D♯
F major pentatonic	F – G – A – C – D
B♭ major pentatonic	B♭ – C – D – F – G
E♭ major pentatonic	E♭ – F – G – B♭ – C
A♭ major pentatonic	A♭ – B♭ – C – E♭ – F
D♭ major pentatonic	D♭ – E♭ – F – A♭ – B♭

Minor Pentatonic Scale

The minor pentatonic is the natural minor scale with the 2nd and 6th degrees removed. Its five notes — root, ♭3, 4, 5, ♭7 — form the backbone of blues, rock, and R&B soloing. If you have ever heard a guitar solo that sounds effortlessly cool, there is a strong chance it was built from the minor pentatonic.

The minor pentatonic is the relative minor of the major pentatonic: A minor pentatonic and C major pentatonic share exactly the same notes. The difference is which note you treat as “home.”

Key	Notes
A minor pentatonic	A – C – D – E – G
E minor pentatonic	E – G – A – B – D
B minor pentatonic	B – D – E – F♯ – A
F♯ minor pentatonic	F♯ – A – B – C♯ – E
C♯ minor pentatonic	C♯ – E – F♯ – G♯ – B
G♯ minor pentatonic	G♯ – B – C♯ – D♯ – F♯
D minor pentatonic	D – F – G – A – C
G minor pentatonic	G – B♭ – C – D – F
C minor pentatonic	C – E♭ – F – G – B♭
F minor pentatonic	F – A♭ – B♭ – C – E♭
B♭ minor pentatonic	B♭ – D♭ – E♭ – F – A♭
E♭ minor pentatonic	E♭ – G♭ – A♭ – B♭ – D♭

Blues Scale

The blues scale takes the minor pentatonic and adds one note: the ♭5, known as the blue note. That single chromatic addition — creating a run of three consecutive half steps from the 4th through the 5th — is responsible for the gritty, expressive tension that defines blues, rock, funk, and much of jazz.

The formula is m3 – W – H – H – m3 – W (minor third, whole step, half step, half step, minor third, whole step). The blue note is a passing tone: it sounds best when it resolves up to the natural 5th or down to the 4th rather than being sustained.

Key	Notes
A blues	A – C – D – E♭ – E – G
E blues	E – G – A – B♭ – B – D
B blues	B – D – E – F – F♯ – A
F♯ blues	F♯ – A – B – C – C♯ – E
C♯ blues	C♯ – E – F♯ – G – G♯ – B
G♯ blues	G♯ – B – C♯ – D – D♯ – F♯
D blues	D – F – G – A♭ – A – C
G blues	G – B♭ – C – D♭ – D – F
C blues	C – E♭ – F – G♭ – G – B♭
F blues	F – A♭ – B♭ – B – C – E♭
B♭ blues	B♭ – D♭ – E♭ – E – F – A♭
E♭ blues	E♭ – G♭ – A♭ – A – B♭ – D♭

Dorian Mode

The Dorian mode is a minor scale with a raised 6th degree. Its interval pattern — W – H – W – W – W – H – W — sits halfway between the natural minor and the major scale, producing a minor tonality with a slightly brighter, more optimistic quality. That raised 6th is the note that sets Dorian apart and gives it its characteristic colour.

Dorian is the most widely used mode in jazz, funk, soul, and modal rock. Classic examples include “So What” by Miles Davis, “Oye Como Va” by Santana, and “Get Lucky” by Daft Punk. It is built on the 2nd degree of any major scale — D Dorian, for instance, uses the same notes as C major. For a broader look at all seven modes, see Modes Explained: Dorian to Locrian.

Key	Notes
D Dorian	D – E – F – G – A – B – C
A Dorian	A – B – C – D – E – F♯ – G
E Dorian	E – F♯ – G – A – B – C♯ – D
B Dorian	B – C♯ – D – E – F♯ – G♯ – A
F♯ Dorian	F♯ – G♯ – A – B – C♯ – D♯ – E
C♯ Dorian	C♯ – D♯ – E – F♯ – G♯ – A♯ – B
G Dorian	G – A – B♭ – C – D – E – F
C Dorian	C – D – E♭ – F – G – A – B♭
F Dorian	F – G – A♭ – B♭ – C – D – E♭
B♭ Dorian	B♭ – C – D♭ – E♭ – F – G – A♭
E♭ Dorian	E♭ – F – G♭ – A♭ – B♭ – C – D♭
A♭ Dorian	A♭ – B♭ – C♭ – D♭ – E♭ – F – G♭

Phrygian Mode

The Phrygian mode is built on the 3rd degree of the major scale. Its interval pattern — H – W – W – W – H – W – W — begins with a half step, giving it a dark, exotic quality that immediately sets it apart from other minor-sounding scales. That lowered 2nd degree (♭2) is the defining interval and the source of Phrygian’s distinctive tension.

Phrygian is widely used in flamenco, metal, and Middle Eastern–influenced music. Its close relative, Phrygian Dominant (which raises the 3rd), is the scale behind much of the Spanish guitar tradition. E Phrygian uses the same notes as C major but treats E as home.

Key	Notes
E Phrygian	E – F – G – A – B – C – D
B Phrygian	B – C – D – E – F♯ – G – A
F♯ Phrygian	F♯ – G – A – B – C♯ – D – E
C♯ Phrygian	C♯ – D – E – F♯ – G♯ – A – B
G♯ Phrygian	G♯ – A – B – C♯ – D♯ – E – F♯
D♯ Phrygian	D♯ – E – F♯ – G♯ – A♯ – B – C♯
A Phrygian	A – B♭ – C – D – E – F – G
D Phrygian	D – E♭ – F – G – A – B♭ – C
G Phrygian	G – A♭ – B♭ – C – D – E♭ – F
C Phrygian	C – D♭ – E♭ – F – G – A♭ – B♭
F Phrygian	F – G♭ – A♭ – B♭ – C – D♭ – E♭
B♭ Phrygian	B♭ – C♭ – D♭ – E♭ – F – G♭ – A♭

Lydian Mode

The Lydian mode is the major scale with a raised 4th degree. Its interval pattern — W – W – W – H – W – W – H — pushes that single note up by a half step, creating a bright, floating, almost dreamlike quality that goes beyond the standard major sound. The ♯4 is what gives Lydian its signature shimmer.

Lydian appears frequently in film scores (think of the wonder and awe in John Williams’ themes), progressive rock, and jazz fusion. It is built on the 4th degree of any major scale — F Lydian, for example, uses the same notes as C major. Steve Vai’s “The Riddle” and much of Joe Satriani’s work make heavy use of the Lydian mode.

Key	Notes
F Lydian	F – G – A – B – C – D – E
C Lydian	C – D – E – F♯ – G – A – B
G Lydian	G – A – B – C♯ – D – E – F♯
D Lydian	D – E – F♯ – G♯ – A – B – C♯
A Lydian	A – B – C♯ – D♯ – E – F♯ – G♯
E Lydian	E – F♯ – G♯ – A♯ – B – C♯ – D♯
B Lydian	B – C♯ – D♯ – E♯ – F♯ – G♯ – A♯
B♭ Lydian	B♭ – C – D – E – F – G – A
E♭ Lydian	E♭ – F – G – A – B♭ – C – D
A♭ Lydian	A♭ – B♭ – C – D – E♭ – F – G
D♭ Lydian	D♭ – E♭ – F – G – A♭ – B♭ – C
G♭ Lydian	G♭ – A♭ – B♭ – C – D♭ – E♭ – F

Note: B Lydian contains E♯ (enharmonically F), spelled this way to give each scale degree its own letter name.

Mixolydian Mode

The Mixolydian mode is a major scale with a lowered 7th degree. Its interval pattern — W – W – H – W – W – H – W — keeps the bright major 3rd but replaces the leading tone with a ♭7, removing the strong pull toward resolution. The result is a relaxed, bluesy major sound that sits comfortably between pure major and dominant seventh territory.

Mixolydian is the sound of classic rock, blues-rock, and folk-rock. Any time you hear a song that sounds major but uses a ♭VII chord — think “Sweet Home Alabama” or “Norwegian Wood” — Mixolydian is at work. In jazz, it is the go-to scale for dominant 7th chords. It is built on the 5th degree of any major scale.

Key	Notes
G Mixolydian	G – A – B – C – D – E – F
D Mixolydian	D – E – F♯ – G – A – B – C
A Mixolydian	A – B – C♯ – D – E – F♯ – G
E Mixolydian	E – F♯ – G♯ – A – B – C♯ – D
B Mixolydian	B – C♯ – D♯ – E – F♯ – G♯ – A
F♯ Mixolydian	F♯ – G♯ – A♯ – B – C♯ – D♯ – E
C♯ Mixolydian	C♯ – D♯ – E♯ – F♯ – G♯ – A♯ – B
C Mixolydian	C – D – E – F – G – A – B♭
F Mixolydian	F – G – A – B♭ – C – D – E♭
B♭ Mixolydian	B♭ – C – D – E♭ – F – G – A♭
E♭ Mixolydian	E♭ – F – G – A♭ – B♭ – C – D♭
A♭ Mixolydian	A♭ – B♭ – C – D♭ – E♭ – F – G♭

Note: C♯ Mixolydian contains E♯ (enharmonically F), spelled this way to give each scale degree its own letter name.

Locrian Mode

The Locrian mode is the darkest of the seven modes. Its interval pattern — H – W – W – H – W – W – W — features both a ♭2 and a ♭5, which means even the tonic triad is diminished rather than major or minor. That instability makes Locrian the most dissonant mode and the hardest to use as a tonal centre, but it has carved out a home in heavy metal, progressive rock, and avant-garde jazz.

Locrian is built on the 7th degree of any major scale — B Locrian uses the same notes as C major. Because the “root chord” is diminished, composers and improvisers often use Locrian over half-diminished (m7♭5) chords rather than trying to establish it as a key in its own right. In metal, riffs built on the ♭2–root half-step motion create a menacing, grinding tension that defines the genre’s heaviest moments.

Key	Notes
B Locrian	B – C – D – E – F – G – A
F♯ Locrian	F♯ – G – A – B – C – D – E
C♯ Locrian	C♯ – D – E – F♯ – G – A – B
G♯ Locrian	G♯ – A – B – C♯ – D – E – F♯
D♯ Locrian	D♯ – E – F♯ – G♯ – A – B – C♯
A♯ Locrian	A♯ – B – C♯ – D♯ – E – F♯ – G♯
E Locrian	E – F – G – A – B♭ – C – D
A Locrian	A – B♭ – C – D – E♭ – F – G
D Locrian	D – E♭ – F – G – A♭ – B♭ – C
G Locrian	G – A♭ – B♭ – C – D♭ – E♭ – F
C Locrian	C – D♭ – E♭ – F – G♭ – A♭ – B♭
F Locrian	F – G♭ – A♭ – B♭ – C♭ – D♭ – E♭

How These Scales Relate to Each Other

Scales are not isolated patterns — they form an interconnected web. Understanding these connections helps you move between scales fluently and choose the right one for any musical situation.

Major and natural minor are relatives. Every major scale shares its notes with a natural minor scale starting on the 6th degree. C major and A minor contain the same seven notes; the difference is which note functions as “home.”

The three minor scales are a family. Natural minor, harmonic minor, and melodic minor share the same first five notes. They differ only in the 6th and 7th degrees, and each variation solves a specific musical problem: the natural minor sounds purely minor, the harmonic minor provides a strong dominant chord, and the melodic minor creates smooth ascending motion.

Pentatonic scales are subsets. The major pentatonic is the major scale minus two notes. The minor pentatonic is the natural minor minus two notes. Removing those notes eliminates all half steps, making the pentatonic scales sound universally consonant.

The blues scale extends the minor pentatonic. Add one chromatic passing tone — the ♭5 — to the minor pentatonic and you have the blues scale. That single note introduces just enough tension to create the blues sound.

Modes are the major scale seen from different starting points. All seven modes — Ionian (major), Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, Mixolydian, Aeolian (natural minor), and Locrian — share the same set of notes but produce completely different sounds depending on which note is treated as “home.” Understanding one mode means you already know the notes for all seven; the challenge is training your ear to hear each one’s unique character.

Dorian bridges minor and major. Compared to the natural minor, Dorian raises the 6th degree. That one change lifts the mood without losing the minor quality, which is why Dorian works so well for grooves and modal jams.

Phrygian and Locrian are the darkest modes. Phrygian’s ♭2 gives it a Spanish or Middle Eastern edge, while Locrian’s ♭2 and ♭5 make it the most dissonant mode — useful over half-diminished chords and in heavy metal riffs.

Lydian and Mixolydian colour the major sound. Lydian’s ♯4 adds brightness and lift beyond the standard major scale, while Mixolydian’s ♭7 relaxes the major sound toward a bluesy, dominant quality.

Explore Every Scale Interactively

All twelve scale types on this page — and dozens more — are available in the Interactive Chord Finder. Select any root note and scale, and the tool instantly shows you the notes on a piano keyboard or guitar fretboard, the step pattern, and every diatonic chord built from that scale. It is the fastest way to hear, see, and internalise any scale in any key.

If you want to test your chord knowledge, try the Chord Practice Tool to drill chord recognition at your own pace.