Music / Theory
Scale Finder (Scales and Modes on Piano and Guitar)
See the notes of any major, minor, modal, pentatonic, or blues scale in any key, correctly spelled, on a piano keyboard and a guitar fretboard, with the chords that belong to it, and hear it played.
Scale Finder (Scales and Modes on Piano and Guitar): Each scale is a pattern of intervals from its root: the major scale goes whole, whole, half, whole, whole, whole, half. The notes are spelled so that a seven-note scale uses every letter once, which is why F major has B♭ and not A♯. The chords are the triads built on each degree from the scale's own notes, with Roman numerals: capitals for major, lower case for minor, ° for diminished. Runs 100% locally in your browser with zero server file uploads.
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C D E F G A B
| I | ii | iii | IV | V | vi | vii° |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C | Dm | Em | F | G | Am | Bdim |
A seven-note scale uses each letter once, so F major is written with B♭ rather than A♯, and some keys need double sharps. The darker note is the root. On the fretboard, frets 0 to 12 are shown in standard tuning, lowest string at the bottom.
Modes of the major scale
Starting the C major scale on each of its notes gives the seven modes: C Ionian (major), D Dorian, E Phrygian, F Lydian, G Mixolydian, A Aeolian (natural minor), and B Locrian. Dorian is a minor scale with a bright sixth; Mixolydian a major scale with a flat seventh, common in rock and folk.
To build chords from these notes, see the chord finder; to play them, the online piano.
Using the chord table
The chords on degrees I, IV, and V of a major key, such as C, F, and G in C major, carry most popular songs; adding vi (A minor) gives the familiar I–V–vi–IV progression. In harmonic minor the V chord becomes major, which gives the strong pull back to the root.
On guitar, the online guitar lets you hear the scale on the fretboard.
How to use it
- Choose the key and the scale or mode.
- Read the notes, and see them on the piano and the fretboard.
- Play the scale, and use the chord table to find chords that fit.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a scale and a mode?
A mode is a scale started from a different note of the major scale: D Dorian has the same notes as C major, but D is home, which gives it a different sound.
Which scale should I use for a solo?
Over a minor or blues song, the minor pentatonic and blues scales are the usual first choice; over a major song, the major pentatonic or the major scale.
Why are some notes written with double sharps?
To keep one letter per degree: G♯ harmonic minor raises F♯ to F𝄪, which sounds the same as G but is written as a kind of F.
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