List of musical scales and modes

The following is a list of musical scales and modes. Degrees are relative to the major scale.

List of musical scales and modes

Name	Image	Sound	Degrees	Intervals	# of pitch classes	Lower tetrachord	Upper tetrachord	Use of key signature usual or unusual
15 equal temperament	15-tet scale on C.	Play	—	—	15	—	—	—
16 equal temperament	16-tet scale on C.	Play	—	—	16	—	—	—
17 equal temperament	17-tet scale on C.	Play	—	—	17	—	—	—
19 equal temperament	19-tet scale on C.	Play	—	—	19	—	—	—
21 equal temperament	21-tet scale on C.	Play	—	—	21	—	—	—
Acoustic scale	Acoustic scale on C.	Play	1 2 3 ♯4 5 6 ♭7	W-W-W-H-W-H-W	7	whole tone	minor
Aeolian mode or natural minor scale	Aeolian on C.	Play	1 2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7	W-H-W-W-H-W-W	7	minor	Phrygian	Usual
Algerian scale	Algerian scale on C.	Play	1 2 ♭3 ♯4 5 ♭6 7 etc.	W-H-3H-H-H-3H-H-W-H-W	variable	—	—
Alpha scale	—	Play	—	—	15.39	—	—	—
Altered scale or Super Locrian scale	Altered scale on C.	Play	1 ♭2 ♭3 ♭4 ♭5 ♭6 ♭7	H-W-H-W-W-W-W	7	diminished	whole tone
Augmented scale	Augmented scale on C.	Play	1 ♭3 3 5 ♯5 7	3H-H-3H-H-3H-H	6	—	—
Bebop dominant scale	Bebop dominant scale on C.	Play	1 2 3 4 5 6 ♭7 7	W-W-H-W-W-H-H-H	8	—	—
Beta scale	—	Play	—	—	18.75	—	—	—
Blues scale	Blues scale on C.	Play	1 ♭3 4 ♭5 5 ♭7	3H-W-H-H-3H-W	6	—	—
Bohlen–Pierce scale	—	Play	—	—	—	—	—	—
Chromatic scale	Chromatic scale on C.	Play	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-H	12	—	—	—
Delta scale	—	Play	—	—	85.7	—	—	—
Dorian mode	Dorian on C.	Play	1 2 ♭3 4 5 6 ♭7	W-H-W-W-W-H-W	7	minor	minor	Usual
Double harmonic scale	Double harmonic scale on C.	Play	1 ♭2 3 4 5 ♭6 7	H-3H-H-W-H-3H-H	7	harmonic	harmonic	Unusual
Enigmatic scale	Enigmatic scale on C.	Play	1 ♭2 3 ♯4 ♯5 ♯6 7	H-3H-W-W-W-H-H	7			Unusual
Euler–Fokker genus	Euler-Fokker genus 337 on C.	Play	—	—	6	—	—	—
Flamenco mode	Flamenco mode on C.	Play	1 ♭2 3 4 5 ♭6 7	H-3H-H-W-H-3H-H	7	Phrygian	Phrygian	Unusual
Gamma scale	—	Play	—	—	34.29	—	—	—
"Gypsy" scale	"Gypsy" [sic] scale on C.	Play	1 2 ♭3 ♯4 5 ♭6 ♭7	W-H-3H-H-H-W-W	7	Gypsy	Phrygian	Unusual
Half diminished scale	Half diminished scale on C.	Play	1 2 ♭3 4 ♭5 ♭6 ♭7	W-H-W-H-W-W-W	7	minor	whole tone
Harmonic major scale	Harmonic major scale on C.	Play	1 2 3 4 5 ♭6 7	W-W-H-W-H-3H-H	7	major	harmonic
Harmonic minor scale	Harmonic minor scale on C.	Play	1 2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 (♮)7	W-H-W-W-H-3H-H	7	minor	harmonic
Harmonic Scale	Harmonic scale chromatic on C.	Play	—	—	144	—	—	—
Hexany	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Hirajoshi scale	Hirajoshi scale on C.	Play	1 3 ♯4 5 7	2W-W-H-2W-H	5	—	—	—
Hungarian "Gypsy" scale/Hungarian minor scale	Hungarian "Gypsy"[sic] scale on C.	Play	1 2 ♭3 ♯4 5 ♭6 7	W-H-3H-H-H-3H-H	7	Gypsy	harmonic	Unusual
Hungarian major scale	Hungarian major scale on C.	Play	1 ♯2 3 ♯4 5 6 ♭7	3H-H-W-H-W-H-W	7	—	minor	Unusual
In scale	Miyako-bushi scale on D, equivalent to in scale on D, with brackets on fourths.	Play	1 ♭2 4 5 ♭6	H-2W-W-H-2W	5	—	—
Insen scale	Insen scale on C.	Play	1 ♭2 4 5 ♭7	H-2W-W-3H-W	5	—	—	—
Ionian mode or major scale	Ionian on C.	Play	1 2 3 4 5 6 7	W-W-H-W-W-W-H	7	major	major	Usual
Istrian scale	Istrian mode on C.	Play	1 ♭2 ♭3 ♭4 ♭5 5	H-W-H-W-	6	diminished	—	—
Iwato scale	Iwato scale on C.	Play	1 ♭2 4 ♭5 ♭7	H-2W-H-2W-W	5	—	—	—
Locrian mode	Locrian on C.	Play	1 ♭2 ♭3 4 ♭5 ♭6 ♭7	H-W-W-H-W-W-W	7	Phrygian	whole tone	Usual
Lydian augmented scale	Lydian augmented scale on C.	Play	1 2 3 ♯4 ♯5 6 7	W-W-W-W-H-W-H	7	whole tone	diminished
Lydian mode	Lydian on C.	Play	1 2 3 ♯4 5 6 7	W-W-W-H-W-W-H	7	whole tone	major	Usual
Major bebop scale	Major bebop scale on C.	Play	1 2 3 4 5 (♯5/♭6) 6 7	W-W-H-W-(H-H)-W-H	7(8)	—	—
Major Locrian scale	Major Locrian scale C.	Play	1 2 3 4 ♭5 ♭6 ♭7	W-W-H-H-W-W-W	7	major	whole tone
Major pentatonic scale	Major pentatonic scale on C.	Play	1 2 3 5 6	W-W-3H-W-3H	5	—	—	Usual
Melodic minor scale	The A melodic minor scale, ascending and descending, on A.	Play	1 2 ♭3 4 5 ♮6 ♮7 8 ♭7 ♭6 5 4 ♭3 2 1	W-H-W-W-W-W-H (ascending) W-W-H-W-W-H-W (descending)	9	minor	varies
Melodic minor scale (ascending)	Melodic minor scale ascending on A.	Play	1 2 ♭3 4 5 6 7	W-H-W-W-W-W-H	7	minor	major
Minor pentatonic scale	Minor pentatonic scale on A.	Play	1 ♭3 4 5 ♭7	3H-W-W-3H-W	5	—	—	Usual
Mixolydian mode or Adonai malakh mode	Mixolydian on C.	Play	1 2 3 4 5 6 ♭7	W-W-H-W-W-H-W	7	major	minor	Usual
Neapolitan major scale	Neapolitan major scale on C.	Play	1 ♭2 ♭3 4 5 6 7	H-W-W-W-W-W-H	7	Phrygian	major	Unusual
Neapolitan minor scale	Neapolitan minor scale on C.	Play	1 ♭2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 7	H-W-W-W-H-3H-H	7	Phrygian	harmonic	Unusual
Non-Pythagorean scale	—	Play	—	—	—	—	—	—
Octatonic scale	Octatonic scales on C.	Play	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	8	—	—
Pelog	Pelog approximated in Western notation.	Play	—	—	—	—	—	—
Persian scale	Persian scale on C.	Play	1 ♭2 3 4 ♭5 ♭6 7	H-3H-H-H-W-3H-H	7	harmonic	unusual
Phrygian dominant scale	Phrygian dominant on C.	Play	1 ♭2 3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7	H-3H-H-W-H-W-W	7	harmonic	Phrygian	Unusual
Phrygian mode	Phrygian on C.	Play	1 ♭2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7	H-W-W-W-H-W-W	7	Phrygian	Phrygian	Usual
Prometheus scale	Prometheus scale on C.	Play	1 2 3 ♯4 6 ♭7	W-W-W-3H-H-W	6	—	—
Quarter tone scale	Quarter tone scale C.	Play	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-Q	24	—	—	—
Scale of harmonics	Scale of harmonics C.	Play	1 ♭3 3 4 5 6	3H-H-H-W-W-3H	—	—	—	—
Slendro	Slendro on C compared to a whole tone scale on C.	Play  or Play	—	—	5	—	—	—
Tritone scale	Tritone scale on C.	Play	1 ♭2 3 ♭5 5 ♭7	H-3H-W-H-3H-W	6	—	—
Two-semitone tritone scale	Two-semitone tritone scale on C.	Play	1 ♭2 ♮2 ♯4 5 ♭6	H-H-4H-H-H-4H	6	—	—
Ukrainian Dorian scale	Ukrainian Dorian mode on C.	Play	1 2 ♭3 ♯4 5 6 ♭7	W-H-3H-H-W-H-W	7	Gypsy	minor	Unusual
Vietnamese scale of harmonics	Vietnamese scale of harmonics on C.	Play	1 3 ♭3 ♮3 5 7	5Q-Q-H-H-W	6	—	—
Whole tone scale	Whole tone scale on C.	Play	1 2 3 ♯4 ♯5 ♯6	W-W-W-W-W-W	6	—	—
Yo scale	Min'yō scale on D, equivalent to yo scale on C, with brackets on fourths.	Play	1 ♭3 4 5 ♭7	3H-W-W-3H-W	5	—	—

Tetrachords	Semitones	Letters
Chromatic	1 1 1	H-H-H
Diminished	1 2 1	H-W-H
Gypsy [sic]	2 1 3	W-H-3H
Harmonic	1 3 1	H-3H-H
Major	2 2 1	W-W-H
Minor	2 1 2	W-H-W
Phrygian/ Upper minor	1 2 2	H-W-W
Whole tone	2 2 2	W-W-W

See also

• Bebop scale
• Chord-scale system
• Heptatonic scale
• Jazz scale
• List of chord progressions
• List of chords
• List of musical intervals
• List of pitch intervals
• Arabian maqam
• Modes of limited transposition
• Symmetric scale
• Synthetic modes
• Tetrachord

External links

• A free Android app with scales & building chords for the scales
• A Study Of Scales
• The Universal Encyclopedia of Scales