List of musical scales and modes


The following is a list of musical scales and modes. Degrees are relative to the major scale.
NameImageSoundJSID DegreesIntervalsInteger notation# of pitch classesLower tetrachordUpper tetrachordUse of key signature usual or unusual
15 equal temperament15
16 equal temperament16
17 equal temperament17
19 equal temperament19
21 equal temperament21
Acoustic scale/
Lydian dominant scale
[Image:Lydian dominant C.png|thumb|Acoustic scale on C.]2742 1 2 3 4 5 6 7W-W-W-H-W-H-W7Whole toneMinorUsual
Aeolian mode/
natural minor scale
mode C.png|thumb|Aeolian on C.]2906 1 2 3 4 5 6 7W-H-W-W-H-W-W7MinorPhrygianUsual
Algerian scale[Image:Algerian scale.png|thumb|Algerian scale on C.]2873/2880 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 etc.W-H-3H-H-H-3H-H-W-H-WVariable
Alpha scale15.39
Altered scale/
Super Locrian scale
[Image:C altered scale flats.png|thumb|Altered scale on C.]3498 1 2 3 4 5 6 7H-W-H-W-W-W-W7DiminishedWhole toneUnusual
Augmented scale[Image:Augmented scale.png|thumb|Augmented scale on C.]2457 1 3 3 5 5 73H-H-3H-H-3H-H6LydianUnusual
Bebop dominant scale[Image:Bebop dominant scale on C.png|thumb|Bebop dominant scale on C.]2775 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 7W-W-H-W-W-H-H-H8MajorChromaticUsual
Beta scale18.75
Blues scale[Image:Blues scale common.png|thumb|Blues scale on C.]2418 1 3 4 5 5 73H-W-H-H-3H-W6Unusual
Bohlen–Pierce scale
Chromatic scale[Image:Chromatische toonladder.png|thumb|Chromatic scale on C.]4095 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-H12ChromaticChromaticUnusual
Delta scale85.7
Dorian mode[Image:Dorian mode C.png|thumb|Dorian on C.]2902 1 2 3 4 5 6 7W-H-W-W-W-H-W7MinorMinorUsual
Double harmonic scale[Image:Double harmonic scale on C.png|thumb|Double harmonic scale on C.]3289 1 2 3 4 5 6 7H-3H-H-W-H-3H-H7HarmonicHarmonicUnusual
Enigmatic scale[Image:Enigmatic scale on C.png|thumb|Enigmatic scale on C.]3243 1 2 3 4 5 6 7H-3H-W-W-W-H-H7HarmonicUnusual
Euler–Fokker genus6
Gamma scale34.29
"Gypsy" scaleImage:Gypsy [Minor Scale.png|thumb|"Gypsy" scale on C.]2874 1 2 3 4 5 6 7W-H-3H-H-H-W-W7GypsyPhrygianUnusual
Half diminished scaleImage:Half [diminished scale C.png|thumb|Half diminished scale on C.]2922 1 2 3 4 5 6 7W-H-W-H-W-W-W7MinorWhole toneUnusual
Harmonic major scale[Image:Harmonic major scale C.png|thumb|Harmonic major scale on C.]2777 1 2 3 4 5 6 7W-W-H-W-H-3H-H7MajorHarmonicUsual
Harmonic minor scale[Image:Harmonic minor on C.png|thumb|Harmonic minor scale on C.]2905 1 2 3 4 5 6 7W-H-W-W-H-3H-H7MinorHarmonicUsual
Harmonic scale[Image:Harmonic Scale chromatic on C.png|thumb|Harmonic scale chromatic on C.]12
Hirajōshi scale[Image:Hirajoshi scale on C Burrows.png|thumb|Hirajoshi scale on C.]2225 1 3 4 5 72W-W-H-2W-H5Unusual
Hungarian "Gypsy" scale/
Hungarian minor scale
Image:Hungarian gypsy scale C.png|thumb|Hungarian "Gypsy" scale on C.2873 1 2 3 4 5 6 7W-H-3H-H-H-3H-H7GypsyHarmonicUnusual
Hungarian major scale[Image:Hungarian major scale on C.png|thumb|Hungarian major scale on C.]2486 1 2 3 4 5 6 73H-H-W-H-W-H-W7MinorUnusual
In scale[Image:Miyako-bushi scale.png|thumb|Miyako-bushi scale on D, equivalent to in scale on D, with brackets on fourths.]3160 1 2 4 5 6H-2W-W-H-2W5Unusual
Insen scale[Image:Insen scale on C.png|thumb|Insen scale on C.]3154 1 2 4 5 7H-2W-W-3H-W5Unusual
Ionian mode/
major scale
[Image:Ionian mode C.png|thumb|Ionian on C.]2773 1 2 3 4 5 6 7W-W-H-W-W-W-H7MajorMajorUsual
Istrian scale[Image:Istrian mode on C.png|thumb|Istrian mode on C.]3504 1 2 3 4 5 5H-W-H-W-H-5H6DiminishedUnusual
Iwato scale[Image:Iwato scale on C.png|thumb|Iwato scale on C.]3170 1 2 4 5 7H-2W-H-2W-W5Unusual
Locrian mode[Image:Locrian mode C.png|thumb|Locrian on C.]3434 1 2 3 4 5 6 7H-W-W-H-W-W-W7PhrygianWhole toneUsual
Locrian ♮63430 1 2 3 4 5 6 7H-W-W-H-3H-H-W7PhrygianGypsyUnusual
Lydian augmented scale[Image:Lydian augmented scale on C.png|thumb|Lydian augmented scale on C.]2733 1 2 3 4 5 6 7W-W-W-W-H-W-H7Whole toneDiminishedUnusual
Lydian diminished scale[Image:Lydian diminished mode C.png|thumb|Lydian diminished on C.]2869 1 2 3 4 5 6 7W-H-3H-H-W-W-H7GypsyMajorUnusual
Lydian mode[Image:Lydian mode C.png|thumb|Lydian on C.]2741 1 2 3 4 5 6 7W-W-W-H-W-W-H7Whole toneMajorUsual
Major bebop scaleImage:Major [bebop scale on C.png|thumb|Major bebop scale on C.]2781 1 2 3 4 5 6 7W-W-H-W--W-H7MajorDiminishedUnusual
Major Locrian scale[Image:Major locrian C.png|thumb|Major Locrian scale C.]2794 1 2 3 4 5 6 7W-W-H-H-W-W-W7MajorWhole toneUsual
Major pentatonic scaleImage:C [major pentatonic scale.svg|thumb|Major pentatonic scale on C.]2708 1 2 3 5 6W-W-3H-W-3H5Usual
Melodic minor scale2901\2906 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1W-H-W-W-W-W-H
W-W-H-W-W-H-W

9Minor
Major
Major
Minor
Unusual
Unusual
Melodic minor scale /
Hawaiian scale
2901 1 2 3 4 5 6 7W-H-W-W-W-W-H7MinorMajorUsual
Minor pentatonic scaleImage:A [minor pentatonic scale.svg|thumb|Minor pentatonic scale on A.]2386 1 3 4 5 73H-W-W-3H-W5Usual
Mixolydian mode/
Adonai malakh mode
[Image:Mixolydian mode C.png|thumb|Mixolydian on C.]2774 1 2 3 4 5 6 7W-W-H-W-W-H-W7MajorMinorUsual
Neapolitan major scale[Image:Neapolitan major scale on C.png|thumb|Neapolitan major scale on C.]3413 1 2 3 4 5 6 7H-W-W-W-W-W-H7PhrygianMajorUnusual
Neapolitan minor scale[Image:Neapolitan minor scale on C.png|thumb|Neapolitan minor scale on C.]3417 1 2 3 4 5 6 7H-W-W-W-H-3H-H7PhrygianLydianUnusual
Non-Pythagorean scale
Octatonic scale[Image:Octatonic scales on C.png|thumb|Octatonic scales on C.]2925
3510
1 2 3 4 5 6 6 7
1 2 3 3 4 5 6 7
W-H-W-H-W-H-W-H
H-W-H-W-H-W-H-W

8Minor
Diminished
Diminished
Minor
Unusual
Unusual
Pelog
Persian scale[Image:Persian scale on C.png|thumb|Persian scale on C.]3305 1 2 3 4 5 6 7H-3H-H-H-W-3H-H7LydianUnusual
Phrygian dominant scaleImage:C [Phrygian dominant scale.svg|thumb|Phrygian dominant on C.]3290 1 2 3 4 5 6 7H-3H-H-W-H-W-W7LydianPhrygianUsual
Phrygian mode[Image:Phrygian mode C.png|thumb|Phrygian on C.]3418 1 2 3 4 5 6 7H-W-W-W-H-W-W7PhrygianPhrygianUsual
Prometheus scale[Image:Prometheus scale on C.png|thumb|Prometheus scale on C.]2726 1 2 3 4 6 7W-W-W-3H-H-W6Whole toneUnusual
Quarter tone scaleImage:Quarter [tone scale on C.png|thumb|Quarter tone scale C.]1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 3 3 4 4 4 4 5 5 5 5 6 6 6 6 7 7
8 7 7 7 7 6 6 6 6 5 5 5 5 4 4 3 3 3 3 2 2 2 2 1
Q-Q-Q-Q-Q-Q-Q-Q-Q-Q-Q-Q-Q-Q-Q-Q-Q-Q-Q-Q-Q-Q-Q-Q24Unusual
Scale of harmonics[Image:Scale of harmonics on C.png|thumb|Scale of harmonics C.]2516 1 3 3 4 5 63H-H-H-W-W-3H6Unusual
SlendroImage:Slendro vs [whole tone scale on C.png|thumb|Slendro on C compared to a whole tone scale on C.] or 5
Tritone scale3250 1 2 3 5 5 7H-3H-W-H-3H-W6Unusual
Two-semitone tritone scale3640 1 2 2 4 5 6H-H-2W-H-H-2W6Unusual
Ukrainian Dorian scaleImage:Ukrainian [Dorian mode on C.png|thumb|Ukrainian Dorian mode on C.]2870 1 2 3 4 5 6 7W-H-3H-H-W-H-W7GypsyMinorUnusual
Vietnamese scale of harmonics1 3 3 3 4 55Q-Q-H-H-W6Unusual
Whole tone scale[Image:Whole tone scale on C.png|thumb|Whole tone scale on C.]2730 1 2 3 4 5 6W-W-W-W-W-W6Whole toneWhole toneUnusual
Yo scale2644 1 2 4 5 6W-3H-W-W-3H5Unusual

TetrachordsSemitonesLetters
Chromatic1 1 1H-H-H
Chromatic 3 1 13H-H-H
Diatonic2 2 1W-W-H
Diminished1 2 1H-W-H
Gypsy2 1 3W-H-3H
Harmonic/Lydian1 3 1H-3H-H
Major/Dominant2 2 1W-W-H
Minor/Dorian2 1 2W-H-W
Phrygian/Locrian/
Upper minor
1 2 2H-W-W
Whole tone2 2 2W-W-W