Scale formulas
A table of the most-used scales, with their degree formula and their whole-step and half-step pattern.
Applied
Content under musical review. It may contain inaccuracies.
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A table of the most-used scales, with their degree formula and their whole-step and half-step pattern.
Applied
This table gathers fourteen scales, from major and the minors to the modes, the pentatonics, the blues scale, whole tone and diminished. For each one you get two equivalent descriptions: the formula in degrees relative to the major scale, and the step pattern in whole and half steps. With them you can build any scale from any tonic.
| Scale or mode | Formula | Steps |
|---|---|---|
| Major (Ionian) | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 | W-W-H-W-W-W-H |
| Natural minor (Aeolian) | 1 2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7 | W-H-W-W-H-W-W |
| Harmonic minor | 1 2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 7 | W-H-W-W-H-W½-H |
| Melodic minor | 1 2 ♭3 4 5 6 7 | W-H-W-W-W-W-H |
| Major pentatonic | 1 2 3 5 6 | W-W-W½-W-W½ |
| Minor pentatonic | 1 ♭3 4 5 ♭7 | W½-W-W-W½-W |
| Minor blues | 1 ♭3 4 ♭5 5 ♭7 | W½-W-H-H-W½-W |
| Dorian | 1 2 ♭3 4 5 6 ♭7 | W-H-W-W-W-H-W |
| Phrygian | 1 ♭2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7 | H-W-W-W-H-W-W |
| Lydian | 1 2 3 ♯4 5 6 7 | W-W-W-H-W-W-H |
| Mixolydian | 1 2 3 4 5 6 ♭7 | W-W-H-W-W-H-W |
| Locrian | 1 ♭2 ♭3 4 ♭5 ♭6 ♭7 | H-W-W-H-W-W-W |
| Whole tone | 1 2 3 ♯4 ♯5 ♯6 | W-W-W-W-W-W |
| Diminished half-whole | 1 ♭2 ♭3 3 ♯4 5 6 ♭7 | H-W-H-W-H-W-H-W |