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Scales & Modes

Scales

Scales are sets of notes forming particular intervals with a tonal center called a root note. Most scales in Western music consist of 7 notes, so each scale selectively leaves out 5 notes to invoke a particular feeling in listeners.

Melody and harmony are built on the notes of scales (non-scale notes are used as well, with care). Melody is the arrangement of individual notes over time, with no two notes playing simultaneously. When you sing a song, you sing the melody. Harmony is the arrangement of multiple notes at the same time to form chords. We will explore harmony in the next lesson.

The Major Scale

One of the most common scales, upon which other scales are often built by modifying notes, is the major scale. The major scale is a 7 note scale which can be built using the formula: "R W W H W W W", where "R" denotes the root name, "W" means the next note is a whole step higher, and "H" means the next note is a half step higher.

So, a C major scale, a scale with a root note of C following the major scale formula, is comprised of the notes: C, D, E, F, G, A, B.

NOTE: Though the notes of scales are often given in ascending order, they can be played in any order or repeated any number of times and still be considered the same scale. What makes a scale distinct is simply the set of notes it contains, not the order or the count of the notes.

Every scale has a root note which we naturally gravitate towards and compare other notes in the scale to. Every note in a scale forms a particular interval with the root note, and thinking about scales in terms of intervals from the root note can be helpful when analyzing why a particular scale or melody sounds the way it does. Because of this, sometimes scales are denoted in terms of intervals from the root note, like so:

C Major scale formula: R, M2, M3, P4, P5, M6, M7

Major scales often sound "happy" or "bright". Try playing the piano keyboard below to hear each note of the C major scale at the same time as the root note to internalize the sound of the major scale yourself.

Scale Degrees

Each note in a scale is sometimes called a scale degree, with the first note (the root note) called the 1st scale degree (C in C major), the next note above that called the 2nd scale degree (D in C major), the next note above that called the 3rd scale degree (E in C major), and so on.

The major scale has the following scale degrees: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7. This is obvious, but listing the scale degrees of the major scale is useful because other scales can be built from major by adding sharps and flats to its scale degrees. We will notate scale formulas in this way from now on, starting with the natural minor scale:

The natural minor scale (commonly referred to simply as the minor scale) is another common scale with a "darker" sound. Relative to the major scale, the natural minor scale has the following formula: 1 2 b3 4 5 b6 b7, meaning the natural minor scale is a major scale with the 3rd, 6th, and 7th scale degrees flattened. So, a C natural minor scale is comprised of the notes C, D, E♭, F, G, A♭, B♭.

Try playing the piano keyboard below to get a feel for the natural minor scale.

Modes

The modes of a scale are the different scales you get when you start on different notes of a "base" scale, and consider those starting notes the new root notes.

Let's try starting the C major scale on different notes, and considering those starting notes to be the new root notes, to find the modes of the scale:

You can build modes on any base scale, and not all modes have names! Some common modes and scales are below:

Other Common Scales & Modes

There are many other common, named scales (and keep in mind that a mode can be built off each scale degree in each scale). Explore them below with the interactive diagram below:

Interactive Exercises

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