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List of musical scales and modes

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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 # 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) 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 (0,2,3,5,7,8,10) 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) 7 diminished whole tone
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) 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 (0,2,4,5,7,9,10,11) 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 (0,3,5,6,7,10) 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) 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 (0,2,3,5,7,9,10) 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) 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) 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 (0,1,4,5,7,8,11) 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 (0,2,3,6,7,8,10) 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) 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 (0,2,4,5,7,8,11) 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 (0,2,3,5,7,8,11) 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 (0,4,6,7,11) 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 (0,2,3,6,7,8,11) 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) 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) 5
Insen scale
Insen scale on C.
Play 1 2 4 5 7 H-2W-W-3H-W (0,1,5,7,10) 5
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) 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) 6 diminished
Iwato scale
Iwato scale on C.
Play 1 2 4 5 7 H-2W-H-2W-W (0,1,5,6,10) 5
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) 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) 7 Phrygian gypsy
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) 7 whole tone diminished
Lydian diminished scale
Lydian diminished on C.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 W-H-3H-H-H-W-H (0,2,3,6,7,9,11) 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) 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) 7(8)
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) 7 major whole tone
Major pentatonic scale
Major pentatonic scale on C.
Play 1 2 3 5 6 W-W-3H-W-3H (0,2,4,7,9) 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)

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 (0,2,3,5,7,9,11) 7 minor major
Minor pentatonic scale
Minor pentatonic scale on A.
Play 1 3 4 5 7 3H-W-W-3H-W (0,3,5,7,10) 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) 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) 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) 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)

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 (0,1,4,5,6,8,11) 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) 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) 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) 6
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)
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) 6
Two-semitone tritone scale
Two-semitone tritone scale on C.
Play 1 2 2 4 5 6 H-H-4H-H-H-4H (0,1,2,6,7,8) 6
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) 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) 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 (0,3,5,7,10) 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

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