Major & Minor Scales
Every major and natural minor scale with its notes, key signature, diatonic chords and common chord progressions. Pick a scale to see it on an interactive piano and hear how it sounds.
Not sure which scale you are playing? Find it from the notes or the chords
Major scales
Minor scales (natural)
Scale types
Modes, pentatonics, blues, bebop and symmetric scales — each one shown in every key.
What is a musical scale?
A scale is an ordered set of notes that defines the tonal material of a key. The major scale follows the step pattern W–W–H–W–W–W–H (W = whole step, H = half step), while the natural minor scale follows W–H–W–W–H–W–W. Every major key shares its notes with a relative minor key, which starts on the sixth degree of the major scale.
Knowing scales helps you find the chords that belong to a key, build melodies that stay in key, and transpose songs. Each scale page shows the scale on a piano keyboard, its key signature, the seven diatonic chords, and progressions you can use right away.
Frequently asked questions
How many major and minor scales are there?
There are 15 major and 15 minor key signatures (including enharmonic spellings like F♯ major and G♭ major), but only 12 distinct pitch collections of each type — some scales are enharmonic equivalents of each other.
What is the difference between a major and a minor scale?
The major scale has a major third and major sixth and seventh above the tonic and sounds bright; the natural minor scale lowers the third, sixth and seventh, which gives it a darker sound. Their step patterns are W–W–H–W–W–W–H and W–H–W–W–H–W–W respectively.
What is a relative minor?
The relative minor is the minor key that shares the same key signature as a major key. It starts on the sixth degree of the major scale — for example, A minor is the relative minor of C major.
How do I look up a piano scale?
Choose a root note and a scale type on this page. Every scale page is a piano scale reference: the notes, the key signature, the scale degrees, the chords in the key and a keyboard chart.
Is there a piano scales app?
Yes. Piano Companion is a piano scales app for iPhone, iPad, Android and Mac. Its scale dictionary has 10,000+ scales with fingering for both hands, staff notation and audio playback, and it works offline.
How do I find a scale from its notes?
Use a scale finder. In the Piano Companion app, tap the keys you know and it lists every scale that contains them. Without the app, count the sharps or flats you use and match them to a key signature.
Which piano scales should I learn first?
Start with the major scale that uses only white keys, then add one sharp or one flat at a time in circle-of-fifths order. After that, learn the natural minor scales, then the pentatonic and blues scales.
