Music Scales
- Notes
- C – D – E – F – G – A – B
- Steps
- WWHWWWH
Guitar fretboard
Chords in this key
Practice aid. Pitch follows A4 = 440 Hz (ISO 16:1975) in equal temperament; clicks are timed on the audio clock, and your device adds a fixed output delay. Checked 2026-10-23. ISO 16:1975 · Disclaimer
Pick a root and a scale. The keyboard and the fretboard light up the notes; the step pattern shows how the scale is built.
How scales are built
A scale is a fixed pattern of whole steps (W, 2 half steps) and half steps (H). The major scale is W W H W W W H from any root: C D E F G A B C. The natural minor is W H W W H W W: A B C D E F G A, the same notes as C major started on A.
Pentatonic scales keep five notes and drop the two that clash most; the blues scale adds one "blue note" to the minor pentatonic. The seven modes (Dorian, Phrygian…) are the major scale started on another degree.
Practising scales
Start slowly with the metronome, one note per click, and only speed up when every note is even. The speed trainer can raise the tempo by a few BPM every few bars for you.
Questions
- What is the difference between natural, harmonic and melodic minor?
- Harmonic minor raises the 7th by a half step (A harmonic minor has G♯). Melodic minor raises the 6th and 7th going up (F♯ and G♯ in A).
- How many notes are in a pentatonic scale?
- Five. C major pentatonic is C D E G A; A minor pentatonic uses the same notes from A.
- Which scale should I learn first?
- C major on piano (white keys only) and the A minor pentatonic on guitar.