Scale Formulas Chart
| Scale | Formula | Steps | From C |
|---|---|---|---|
| major | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 | W – W – H – W – W – W – H | C D E F G A B |
| natural minor | 1 2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7 | W – H – W – W – H – W – W | C D E♭ F G A♭ B♭ |
| harmonic minor | 1 2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 7 | W – H – W – W – H – W+H – H | C D E♭ F G A♭ B |
| melodic minor | 1 2 ♭3 4 5 6 7 | W – H – W – W – W – W – H | C D E♭ F G A B |
| Dorian | 1 2 ♭3 4 5 6 ♭7 | W – H – W – W – W – H – W | C D E♭ F G A B♭ |
| Phrygian | 1 ♭2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7 | H – W – W – W – H – W – W | C D♭ E♭ F G A♭ B♭ |
| Lydian | 1 2 3 ♯4 5 6 7 | W – W – W – H – W – W – H | C D E F♯ G A B |
| Mixolydian | 1 2 3 4 5 6 ♭7 | W – W – H – W – W – H – W | C D E F G A B♭ |
| Locrian | 1 ♭2 ♭3 4 ♭5 ♭6 ♭7 | H – W – W – H – W – W – W | C D♭ E♭ F G♭ A♭ B♭ |
| major pentatonic | 1 2 3 5 6 | W – W – W+H – W – W+H | C D E G A |
| minor pentatonic | 1 ♭3 4 5 ♭7 | W+H – W – W – W+H – W | C E♭ F G B♭ |
| blues | 1 ♭3 4 ♭5 5 ♭7 | W+H – W – H – H – W+H – W | C E♭ F G♭ G B♭ |
| major blues | 1 2 ♭3 3 5 6 | W – H – H – W+H – W – W+H | C D E♭ E G A |
| whole tone | 1 2 3 ♯4 ♯5 ♭7 | W – W – W – W – W – W | C D E F♯ G♯ B♭ |
| half-whole diminished | 1 ♭2 ♭3 3 ♯4 5 6 ♭7 | H – W – H – W – H – W – H – W | C D♭ E♭ E F♯ G A B♭ |
| whole-half diminished | 1 2 ♭3 4 ♭5 ♭6 6 7 | W – H – W – H – W – H – W – H | C D E♭ F G♭ A♭ A B |
| phrygian dominant | 1 ♭2 3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7 | H – W+H – H – W – H – W – W | C D♭ E F G A♭ B♭ |
| Hungarian minor | 1 2 ♭3 ♯4 5 ♭6 7 | W – H – W+H – H – H – W+H – H | C D E♭ F♯ G A♭ B |
| Lydian dominant | 1 2 3 ♯4 5 6 ♭7 | W – W – W – H – W – H – W | C D E F♯ G A B♭ |
| altered | 1 ♭2 ♭3 ♭4 ♭5 ♭6 ♭7 | H – W – H – W – W – W – W | C D♭ E♭ F♭ G♭ A♭ B♭ |
| double harmonic major | 1 ♭2 3 4 5 ♭6 7 | H – W+H – H – W – H – W+H – H | C D♭ E F G A♭ B |
| bebop dominant | 1 2 3 4 5 6 ♭7 7 | W – W – H – W – W – H – H – H | C D E F G A B♭ B |
free-music-sheets.com
What it is
A one-page reference of scale formulas: for each scale, the step pattern (W = whole step, H = half step) and the degree formula compared to the major scale, plus an example from C.
What's included
- Major and the three minor scales (natural, harmonic, melodic).
- The seven modes: ionian, dorian, phrygian, lydian, mixolydian, aeolian, locrian.
- Major and minor pentatonic, blues and major blues.
- Whole tone, both diminished scales and selected exotic scales such as phrygian dominant and the altered scale.
How to use it
- Print at 100% and keep it with your theory notes.
- To build any scale, write the major scale of the root first, then apply the degree formula. For example, dorian is 1 2 b3 4 5 6 b7.
- Hear and see each scale on your instrument in the scale explorer.
Related
Read the major scale, minor scales, modes and pentatonic and blues. Practise with scale spelling 1 and browse all scales.