From theory — Western theory · Scales.

Beyond the major scale

Scales & modes: Scales · Modes · Beyond scales · Circle of fifths

The seven modes all come from one parent — the major scale. Swap in a different parent scale and you unlock whole new colors. Here are the essential ones, with the same hear-it-and-see-it treatment.

This page has the same pinned metronome as the rest of the site — every “Hear it” plays one note per beat at that tempo, so slow a scale down to study it or speed it up once it's under your fingers.

Build & hear a scale

Pick a family, a scale within it, and a root — the keyboard lights up its notes and the details appear below. Press Play scale to hear it (one note per beat at the metronome's tempo — set the BPM in the bar pinned at the bottom). Comparing scales from the same root is the fastest way to feel the difference.

Each family below has its own summary table — every row is playable too (▶), and a From C column spells the notes.

The minor family

Three flavors of minor that differ only in the 6th and 7th degrees. Raising those notes is what changes the mood.

Scale	Formula	vs natural minor	Feel / use
Natural minor (Aeolian)	1 2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7	—	the plain sad scale; pop, rock
Harmonic minor	1 2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 7	raised 7th	dramatic, exotic; classical, metal, the “Spanish” sound. The big jump from ♭6 to 7 is its signature.
Melodic minor (asc.)	1 2 ♭3 4 5 6 7	raised 6th & 7th	smooth minor with a major-sounding top; jazz & classical. (Classically it descends as natural minor.)

Pentatonic, blues & symmetrical

Scale	# notes	Formula	Feel / use
Major pentatonic	5	1 2 3 5 6	open & happy, nothing clashes; folk, country, pop hooks
Minor pentatonic	5	1 ♭3 4 5 ♭7	the #1 soloing scale; rock, blues, pop leads
Blues	6	1 ♭3 4 ♭5 5 ♭7	minor pentatonic + the ♭5 “blue note”; blues, rock, jazz
Whole-tone	6	1 2 3 ♯4 ♯5 ♯6	all whole steps — dreamy, no gravity; Debussy, dream scenes
Diminished (W–H)	8	1 2 ♭3 4 ♭5 ♭6 6 7	alternating whole/half — tense; jazz over dim7, suspense
Chromatic	12	all 12 notes	every half-step; passing tones & tension, never a “home” key

Symmetrical scales (whole-tone, diminished, chromatic) repeat the same interval pattern, so they have no single “home” and sound like they float.

Modes of melodic minor

Melodic minor has seven modes too — the jazz workhorses. Two are famous enough to name.

Mode	Degree	Formula	Used over
Melodic minor	1st	1 2 ♭3 4 5 6 7	minor tonic chords
Dorian ♭2	2nd	1 ♭2 ♭3 4 5 6 ♭7	sus♭9
Lydian augmented	3rd	1 2 3 ♯4 ♯5 6 7	maj7♯5
Lydian dominant	4th	1 2 3 ♯4 5 6 ♭7	dominant 7♯11 (jazz/fusion staple)
Mixolydian ♭6	5th	1 2 3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7	dominant 7♭13
Locrian ♮2 (half-dim)	6th	1 2 ♭3 4 ♭5 ♭6 ♭7	m7♭5
Altered (Super-Locrian)	7th	1 ♭2 ♭3 ♭4 ♭5 ♭6 ♭7	altered dominants (7♭9♯9♯11♭13)

Modes of harmonic minor

Harmonic minor also has seven modes; the standout is Phrygian dominant — the unmistakable Spanish / Middle-Eastern sound.

Mode	Degree	Formula	Sound
Harmonic minor	1st	1 2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 7	dramatic minor
Locrian ♮6	2nd	1 ♭2 ♭3 4 ♭5 6 ♭7	half-diminished color
Ionian ♯5 (augmented major)	3rd	1 2 3 4 ♯5 6 7	maj7♯5
Dorian ♯4 (Ukrainian Dorian)	4th	1 2 ♭3 ♯4 5 6 ♭7	folk / klezmer
Phrygian dominant	5th	1 ♭2 3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7	Spanish, flamenco, metal
Lydian ♯2	6th	1 ♯2 3 ♯4 5 6 7	bright & exotic
Super-Locrian ♭♭7	7th	1 ♭2 ♭3 ♭4 ♭5 ♭6 ♭♭7	very tense (altered/dim)

Exotic & world scales

A few striking scales from outside the plain major/minor world — great for evoking a place or a mood. (Several are also modes of the scales above.)

Scale	Formula	Feel / use
Double harmonic (Byzantine)	1 ♭2 3 4 5 ♭6 7	Middle-Eastern; two big “gapped” steps around the 2nd and 6th
Hungarian minor	1 2 ♭3 ♯4 5 ♭6 7	gypsy / Hungarian, dramatic — harmonic minor with a ♯4
Neapolitan minor	1 ♭2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 7	classical, brooding — harmonic minor with a ♭2
Hirajoshi (Japanese)	1 2 ♭3 5 ♭6	meditative 5-note scale; koto music, film “East Asia” cues

Back to the seven modes of the major scale. Want the chord side of the story? See the chord types appendix. Ready to drill scales with fingering? Head to Scales.