List of musical scales and modes

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 JSID (Pitch-Class Membership)[1][2] Degrees Intervals Integer notation # of pitch classes Lower tetrachord Upper tetrachord Use of key signature usual or unusual
15 equal temperament Playⓘ — — — 15 — — —
16 equal temperament Playⓘ — — — 16 — — —
17 equal temperament Playⓘ — — — 17 — — —
19 equal temperament Playⓘ — — — 19 — — —
21 equal temperament Playⓘ — — — 21 — — —
Acoustic scale/
Lydian dominant scale		 Playⓘ 2742 (101010110110) 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 Usual
Aeolian mode/
natural minor scale		 Playⓘ 2906 (101101011010) 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 Playⓘ 2873/2880 (101100110101/

101101000000)

1 2 ♭3 ♯4 5 ♭6 7 etc. W-H-3H-H-H-3H-H-W-H-W (0,2,3,6,7,8,11,12,14,15,17) Variable — — —
Alpha scale — Playⓘ — — — 15.39 — — —
Altered scale/
Super Locrian scale		 Playⓘ 3498 (110110101010) 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 Unusual
Augmented scale Playⓘ 2457 (100110011001) 1 ♭3 3 5 ♯5 7 3H-H-3H-H-3H-H (0,3,4,7,8,11) 6 — Lydian Unusual
Bebop dominant scale Playⓘ 2775 (101011010111) 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 Major Chromatic Usual
Beta scale — Playⓘ — — — 18.75 — — —
Blues scale Playⓘ 2418 (100101110010) 1 ♭3 4 ♭5 5 ♭7 3H-W-H-H-3H-W (0,3,5,6,7,10) 6 – – Unusual
Bohlen–Pierce scale — Playⓘ — — — — — — —
Chromatic scale Playⓘ 4095 (111111111111) 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 Chromatic Chromatic Unusual
Delta scale — Playⓘ — — — 85.7 — — —
Dorian mode Playⓘ 2902 (101101010110) 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 Playⓘ 3289 (110011011001) 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 Playⓘ 3243 (110010101011) 1 ♭2 3 ♯4 ♯5 ♯6 7 H-3H-W-W-W-H-H (0,1,4,6,8,10,11) 7 Harmonic – Unusual
Euler–Fokker genus Playⓘ — — — 6 — — —
Gamma scale — Playⓘ — — — 34.29 — — —
"Gypsy" scale Playⓘ 2874 (101100111010) 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 Playⓘ 2922 (101101101010) 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 Unusual
Harmonic major scale Playⓘ 2777 (101011011001) 1 2 3 4 5 ♭6 7 W-W-H-W-H-3H-H (0,2,4,5,7,8,11) 7 Major Harmonic Usual
Harmonic minor scale Playⓘ 2905 (101101011001) 1 2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 (♮)7 W-H-W-W-H-3H-H (0,2,3,5,7,8,11) 7 Minor Harmonic Usual
Harmonic scale Playⓘ — — — 12 — — —
Hirajōshi scale Playⓘ 2225 (100010110001) 1 3 ♯4 5 7 2W-W-H-2W-H (0,4,6,7,11) 5 — — Unusual
Hungarian "Gypsy" scale/
Hungarian minor scale		 Playⓘ 2873 (101100111001) 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 Playⓘ 2486 (100110110110) 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 Playⓘ 3160 (110001011000) 1 ♭2 4 5 ♭6 H-2W-W-H-2W (0,1,5,7,8) 5 — — Unusual
Insen scale Playⓘ 3154 (110001010010) 1 ♭2 4 5 ♭7 H-2W-W-3H-W (0,1,5,7,10) 5 — — Unusual
Ionian mode/
major scale		 Playⓘ 2773 (101011010101) 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 Playⓘ 3504 (110110110000) 1 ♭2 ♭3 ♭4 ♭5 5 H-W-H-W-H-5H (0,1,3,4,6,7) 6 Diminished — Unusual
Iwato scale Playⓘ 3170 (110001100010) 1 ♭2 4 ♭5 ♭7 H-2W-H-2W-W (0,1,5,6,10) 5 — — Unusual
Locrian mode Playⓘ 3434 (110101101010) 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 — — 3430 (110101100110) 1 ♭2 ♭3 4 ♭5 6 ♭7 H-W-W-H-3H-H-W (0,1,3,5,6,9,10) 7 Phrygian Gypsy Unusual
Lydian augmented scale Playⓘ 2733 (101010101101) 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 Unusual
Lydian diminished scale — 2869 (101100110101) 1 2 ♭3 ♯4 5 6 7 W-H-3H-H-W-W-H (0,2,3,6,7,9,11) 7 Gypsy Major Unusual
Lydian mode Playⓘ 2741 (101010110101) 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 Playⓘ 2781 (101011011101) 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 Diminished Unusual
Major Locrian scale Playⓘ 2794 (101011101010) 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 Usual
Major pentatonic scale Playⓘ 2708 (101010010100) 1 2 3 5 6 W-W-3H-W-3H (0,2,4,7,9) 5 — — Usual
Melodic minor scale Playⓘ 2901\2906 (101101010101\
101101011010)		 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 (ascending)

Major (descending)

Major (ascending)

Minor (descending)

Unusual (ascending)

Unusual (descending)

Melodic minor scale (ascending)/
Hawaiian scale		 Playⓘ 2901 (101101010101) 1 2 ♭3 4 5 6 7 W-H-W-W-W-W-H (0,2,3,5,7,9,11) 7 Minor Major Usual
Minor pentatonic scale Playⓘ 2386 (100101010010) 1 ♭3 4 5 ♭7 3H-W-W-3H-W (0,3,5,7,10) 5 — — Usual
Mixolydian mode/
Adonai malakh mode		 Playⓘ 2774 (101011010110) 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 Playⓘ 3413 (110101010101) 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 Playⓘ 3417 (110101011001) 1 ♭2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 7 H-W-W-W-H-3H-H (0,1,3,5,7,8,11) 7 Phrygian Lydian Unusual
Non-Pythagorean scale — Playⓘ — — — — — — —
Octatonic scale Playⓘ 2925 (101101101101)

3510 (110110110110)

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 Minor

Diminished

Diminished

Minor

Unusual

Unusual

Pelog Playⓘ — — — — — — —
Persian scale Playⓘ 3305 (110011101001) 1 ♭2 3 4 ♭5 ♭6 7 H-3H-H-H-W-3H-H (0,1,4,5,6,8,11) 7 Lydian — Unusual
Phrygian dominant scale Playⓘ 3290 (110011011010) 1 ♭2 3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7 H-3H-H-W-H-W-W (0,1,4,5,7,8,10) 7 Lydian Phrygian Usual
Phrygian mode Playⓘ 3418 (110101011010) 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 Playⓘ 2726 (101010100110) 1 2 3 ♯4 6 ♭7 W-W-W-3H-H-W (0,2,4,6,9,10) 6 Whole tone — Unusual
Quarter tone scale Playⓘ 1 1 ♯1 1 2 2 ♯2 2 3 3 4 4 ♯4 4 5 5 ♯5 5 6 6 ♯6 6 7 7

8 7 7 ♭7 7 6 6 ♭6 6 5 5 ♭5 5 4 4 3 3 ♭3 3 2 2 ♭2 2 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 — — Unusual
Scale of harmonics Playⓘ 2516 (100111010100) 1 ♭3 3 4 5 6 3H-H-H-W-W-3H (0,3,4,5,7,9) 6 — — Unusual
Slendro Playⓘ or Playⓘ — — — 5 — — —
Tritone scale Playⓘ 3250 (110010110010) 1 ♭2 3 ♭5 5 ♭7 H-3H-W-H-3H-W (0,1,4,6,7,10) 6 — — Unusual
Two-semitone tritone scale Playⓘ 3640 (111000111000) 1 ♭2 ♮2 ♯4 5 ♭6 H-H-2W-H-H-2W (0,1,2,6,7,8) 6 — — Unusual
Ukrainian Dorian scale Playⓘ 2870 (101100110110) 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 Playⓘ 1 3 ♭3 ♮3 4 5 5Q-Q-H-H-W (0,5/2,3,4,5,7) 6 — — Unusual
Whole tone scale Playⓘ 2730 (101010101010) 1 2 3 ♯4 ♯5 ♯6 W-W-W-W-W-W (0,2,4,6,8,10) 6 Whole tone Whole tone Unusual
Yo scale Playⓘ 2644 (101001010100) 1 2 4 5 6 W-3H-W-W-3H (0,2,5,7,9) 5 — — Unusual


Tetrachords Semitones Letters
Chromatic 1 1 1 H-H-H
Chromatic (Greek) 3 1 1 3H-H-H
Diatonic 2 2 1 W-W-H
Diminished 1 2 1 H-W-H
Gypsy 2 1 3 W-H-3H
Harmonic/Lydian 1 3 1 H-3H-H
Major/Dominant 2 2 1 W-W-H
Minor/Dorian 2 1 2 W-H-W
Phrygian/Locrian/
Upper minor		 1 2 2 H-W-W
Whole tone 2 2 2 W-W-W

See also

References

  1. ^ Cordes, Jacqueline; Cordes, Jay (2025). "How Vast Is Music? Creating "The Fibonacci Variations" with Colors and Scales". The Fibonacci Quarterly. 63 (2): 492–504. doi:10.1080/00150517.2025.2505426.
  2. ^ "Combinatorial Music Theory". andrewduncan.net. Retrieved 2025-03-28.
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