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List of musical scales and modes

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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 Integer notation Binary (Big-Endian)[1] # 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 or Lydian dominant scale
Acoustic scale on C.
 Playⓘ 1 2 3 ♯4 5 6 ♭7 W-W-W-H-W-H-W (0,2,4,6,7,9,10) 101010110110 7 Whole tone Minor Usual
Aeolian mode or natural minor scale
Aeolian on C.
 Playⓘ 1 2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7 W-H-W-W-H-W-W (0,2,3,5,7,8,10) 101101011010 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 (0,2,3,6,7,9,11,12,14,15,17) 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 (0,1,3,4,6,8,10) 110110101010 7 Diminished Whole tone Unusual
Augmented scale
Augmented scale on C.
 Playⓘ 1 ♭3 3 5 ♯5 7 3H-H-3H-H-3H-H (0,3,4,7,8,11) 100110011001 6 — — Usual
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 (0,2,4,5,7,9,10,11) 101011010111 8 Major Chromatic Usual
Beta scale — Playⓘ — — — 18.75 — — —
Blues scale
Blues scale on C.
 Playⓘ 1 ♭3 4 ♭5 5 ♭7 3H-W-H-H-3H-W (0,3,5,6,7,10) 100101110010 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 (0,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11) 111111111111 12 Chromatic Chromatic Unusual
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 (0,2,3,5,7,9,10) 101101010110 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 (0,1,4,5,7,8,11) 110011011001 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 (0,1,4,6,8,10,11) 110010101011 7 Harmonic — 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 (0,1,4,5,7,8,11) 110011011001 7 Harmonic Harmonic 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 (0,2,3,6,7,8,10) 101100111010 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 (0,2,3,5,6,8,10) 101101101010 7 Minor Whole tone Unusual
Harmonic major scale
Harmonic major scale on C.
 Playⓘ 1 2 3 4 5 ♭6 7 W-W-H-W-H-3H-H (0,2,4,5,7,8,11) 101011011001 7 Major Harmonic Usual
Harmonic minor scale
Harmonic minor scale on C.
 Playⓘ 1 2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 (♮)7 W-H-W-W-H-3H-H (0,2,3,5,7,8,11) 101101011001 7 Minor Harmonic Usual
Harmonic scale
Harmonic scale chromatic on C.
 Playⓘ — — — 12 — — —
Hirajōshi scale
Hirajoshi scale on C.
 Playⓘ 1 3 ♯4 5 7 2W-W-H-2W-H (0,4,6,7,11) 100010110001 5 — — Usual
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 (0,2,3,6,7,8,11) 101100111001 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 (0,3,4,6,7,9,10) 100110110110 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 (0,1,5,7,8) 110001011000 5 — — Unusual
Insen scale
Insen scale on C.
 Playⓘ 1 ♭2 4 5 ♭7 H-2W-W-3H-W (0,1,5,7,10) 110001010010 5 — — Unusual
Ionian mode or major scale
Ionian on C.
 Playⓘ 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 W-W-H-W-W-W-H (0,2,4,5,7,9,11) 101011010101 7 Major Major Usual
Istrian scale
Istrian mode on C.
 Playⓘ 1 ♭2 ♭3 ♭4 ♭5 5 H-W-H-W-H-5H (0,1,3,4,6,7) 110110110000 6 Diminished — Unusual
Iwato scale
Iwato scale on C.
 Playⓘ 1 ♭2 4 ♭5 ♭7 H-2W-H-2W-W (0,1,5,6,10) 110001100010 5 — — Unusual
Locrian mode
Locrian on C.
 Playⓘ 1 ♭2 ♭3 4 ♭5 ♭6 ♭7 H-W-W-H-W-W-W (0,1,3,5,6,8,10) 110101101010 7 Phrygian Whole tone Usual
Locrian ♮6 — — 1 ♭2 ♭3 4 ♭5 6 ♭7 H-W-W-H-3H-H-W (0,1,3,5,6,9,10) 110101100110 7 Phrygian Gypsy Unusual
Lydian augmented scale
Lydian augmented scale on C.
 Playⓘ 1 2 3 ♯4 ♯5 6 7 W-W-W-W-H-W-H (0,2,4,6,8,9,11) 101010101101 7 Whole tone Diminished Usual
Lydian diminished scale
Lydian diminished on C.
 — 1 2 ♭3 ♯4 5 6 7 W-H-3H-H-W-W-H (0,2,3,6,7,9,11) 101100110101 7 Gypsy Major Usual
Lydian mode
Lydian on C.
 Playⓘ 1 2 3 ♯4 5 6 7 W-W-W-H-W-W-H (0,2,4,6,7,9,11) 101010110101 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 (0,2,4,5,7,(8),9,11) 101011011101 7(8) Major Diminished Usual
Major Locrian scale
Major Locrian scale C.
 Playⓘ 1 2 3 4 ♭5 ♭6 ♭7 W-W-H-H-W-W-W (0,2,4,5,6,8,10) 101011101010 7 Major Whole tone Usual
Major pentatonic scale
Major pentatonic scale on C.
 Playⓘ 1 2 3 5 6 W-W-3H-W-3H (0,2,4,7,9) 101010010100 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)

(0,2,3,5,7,9,11) (ascending)

(12,10,8,7,5,3,2) (descending)

101101010101 (ascending)

101101011010 (descending)

9 Minor (ascending)

Major (descending)

Major (ascending)

Minor (descending)

Usual (ascending)

Usual (descending)

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 (0,2,3,5,7,9,11) 101101010101 7 Minor Major Usual
Minor pentatonic scale
Minor pentatonic scale on A.
 Playⓘ 1 ♭3 4 5 ♭7 3H-W-W-3H-W (0,3,5,7,10) 100101010010 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 (0,2,4,5,7,9,10) 101011010110 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 (0,1,3,5,7,9,11) 110101010101 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 (0,1,3,5,7,8,11) 110101011001 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-W

(0,2,3,5,6,8,9,11)

(0,1,3,4,6,7,9,10)

101101101101

110110110110

8 Minor

Diminished

Diminished

Minor

Unusual

Unusual

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 (0,1,4,5,6,8,11) 110011101001 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 (0,1,4,5,7,8,10) 110011011010 7 Harmonic Phrygian Unusual
Phrygian mode
Phrygian on C.
 Playⓘ 1 ♭2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7 H-W-W-W-H-W-W (0,1,3,5,7,8,10) 110101011010 7 Phrygian Phrygian Usual
Prometheus scale
Prometheus scale on C.
 Playⓘ 1 2 3 ♯4 6 ♭7 W-W-W-3H-H-W (0,2,4,6,9,10) 101010100110 6 Whole tone — Usual
Quarter tone scale
Quarter tone scale C.
 Playⓘ 1 half sharp1 ♯1 three quarter sharp1 2 half sharp2 ♯2 three quarter sharp2 3 half sharp3 4 half sharp4 ♯4 three quarter sharp4 5 half sharp5 ♯5 three quarter sharp5 6 half sharp6 ♯6 three quarter sharp6 7 half sharp7

half flat8 7 half flat7 ♭7 three quarter flat7 6 half flat6 ♭6 three quarter flat6 5 half flat5 ♭5 three quarter flat5 4 half flat4 3 half flat3 ♭3 three quarter flat3 2 half flat2 ♭2 three quarter flat2 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 (0,1/2,1,3/2,2,5/2,3,
7/2,4,9/2,5,11/2,6,
13/2,7,15/2,8,17/2,9,
19/2,10,21/2,11,23/2) 		24 — — —
Scale of harmonics
Scale of harmonics C.
 Playⓘ 1 ♭3 3 4 5 6 3H-H-H-W-W-3H (0,3,4,5,7,9) 100111010100 6 — — Usual
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 (0,1,4,6,7,10) 110010110010 6 — — Unusual
Two-semitone tritone scale
Two-semitone tritone scale on C.
 Playⓘ 1 ♭2 ♮2 ♯4 5 ♭6 H-H-2W-H-H-2W (0,1,2,6,7,8) 111000111000 6 — — Unusual
Ukrainian Dorian scale
Ukrainian Dorian mode on C.
 Playⓘ 1 2 ♭3 ♯4 5 6 ♭7 W-H-3H-H-W-H-W (0,2,3,6,7,9,10) 101100110110 7 Gypsy Minor Unusual
Vietnamese scale of harmonics
Vietnamese scale of harmonics on C.
 Playⓘ 1 three quarter flat3 ♭3 ♮3 4 5 5Q-Q-H-H-W (0,5/2,3,4,5,7) 6 — — —
Whole tone scale
Whole tone scale on C.
 Playⓘ 1 2 3 ♯4 ♯5 ♯6 W-W-W-W-W-W (0,2,4,6,8,10) 101010101010 6 Whole tone Whole tone Unusual
Yo scale
Min'yō scale on D, equivalent to yo scale on C, with brackets on fourths.
 Playⓘ 1 2 4 5 6 W-3H-W-W-3H (0,2,5,7,9) 101001010100 5 — — Unusual

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

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References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Combinatorial Music Theory". andrewduncan.net. Retrieved 2025-03-28.
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