A scale picks seven of the twelve notes in an octave. A melody built only from those notes does not sound off. For any root, the calculator shows which notes belong to major, minor, the church modes and harmonic or melodic minor, marks them on a keyboard and gives the steps between them. For the step sequencer it lists the semitones above the root.
Shows which notes belong to a scale. Handy for sequencer melodies that are not meant to sound off.
In the generator Step sequencer: root, scale, pitch per step
The twelve cells are the keys of one octave from C, the root is orange. The seven church modes share the same spacing, only started from a different degree. The formula: note = (root + sum of the intervals) mod 12.
Every scale is a sequence of steps: half steps (½) and whole steps (1), and in harmonic minor also a step of one and a half tones. Major goes 1 1 ½ 1 1 1 ½. The modes use the same sequence but start it at a different point: Dorian from the second degree, that is 1 ½ 1 1 1 ½ 1.
Example D Dorian: from D with the steps 1 ½ 1 1 1 ½ 1, in semitones 2 1 2 2 2 1 2, gives D E F G A B C – the same notes as C major, just played from D.
| Scale | Steps | Semitones | From C | Character |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Major (Ionian) | 1 1 ½ 1 1 1 ½ | 0 2 4 5 7 9 11 | C D E F G A B | bright, familiar |
| Dorian | 1 ½ 1 1 1 ½ 1 | 0 2 3 5 7 9 10 | C D E♭ F G A B♭ | minor with a major sixth; funk, jazz, folk |
| Phrygian | ½ 1 1 1 ½ 1 1 | 0 1 3 5 7 8 10 | C D♭ E♭ F G A♭ B♭ | minor with a minor second; Spanish, metal |
| Lydian | 1 1 1 ½ 1 1 ½ | 0 2 4 6 7 9 11 | C D E F♯ G A B | major with an augmented fourth; floating, film music |
| Mixolydian | 1 1 ½ 1 1 ½ 1 | 0 2 4 5 7 9 10 | C D E F G A B♭ | major with a minor seventh; blues, rock |
| Minor (Aeolian) | 1 ½ 1 1 ½ 1 1 | 0 2 3 5 7 8 10 | C D E♭ F G A♭ B♭ | natural minor; melancholy |
| Locrian | ½ 1 1 ½ 1 1 1 | 0 1 3 5 6 8 10 | C D♭ E♭ F G♭ A♭ B♭ | diminished fifth; unstable, rarely used as a basis |
| Harmonic minor | 1 ½ 1 1 ½ 1½ ½ | 0 2 3 5 7 8 11 | C D E♭ F G A♭ B | minor with a leading note; classical, oriental |
| Melodic minor | 1 ½ 1 1 1 1 ½ | 0 2 3 5 7 9 11 | C D E♭ F G A B | minor with a major sixth and seventh; jazz |
Steps in whole tones, notes from C. For another root, count the same steps from there.
| Major | Notes | Minor | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| C major | C D E F G A B | C minor | C D E♭ F G A♭ B♭ |
| D♭ major | D♭ E♭ F G♭ A♭ B♭ C | C♯ minor | C♯ D♯ E F♯ G♯ A B |
| D major | D E F♯ G A B C♯ | D minor | D E F G A B♭ C |
| E♭ major | E♭ F G A♭ B♭ C D | E♭ minor | E♭ F G♭ A♭ B♭ C♭ D♭ |
| E major | E F♯ G♯ A B C♯ D♯ | E minor | E F♯ G A B C D |
| F major | F G A B♭ C D E | F minor | F G A♭ B♭ C D♭ E♭ |
| F♯ major | F♯ G♯ A♯ B C♯ D♯ E♯ | F♯ minor | F♯ G♯ A B C♯ D E |
| G major | G A B C D E F♯ | G minor | G A B♭ C D E♭ F |
| A♭ major | A♭ B♭ C D♭ E♭ F G | G♯ minor | G♯ A♯ B C♯ D♯ E F♯ |
| A major | A B C♯ D E F♯ G♯ | A minor | A B C D E F G |
| B♭ major | B♭ C D E♭ F G A | B♭ minor | B♭ C D♭ E♭ F G♭ A♭ |
| B major | B C♯ D♯ E F♯ G♯ A♯ | B minor | B C♯ D E F♯ G A |
Minor here means natural minor (Aeolian).
ModuloOne is a modular synthesizer that runs in your browser: connect modules with cables and hear what comes out. There the step sequencer offers a “Scale” choice with major, minor, major and minor pentatonic and blues: the mouse wheel and dragging then jump from note to note of the scale above the root. For the modes, set the steps by hand to the semitones the tile lists. Open the generator