Shop Join Pianote

START HERE CHORD THEORY SONG TUTORIALS THEORY TECHNIQUE MUSICIANSHIP CHORDS & SCALES LIBRARY

Piano Scales: Types of Scales

& How to Apply Them Pianote / Scales and Keys / UPDATED May 19, 2023

SHARE THIS:
Piano scales are one of the first things you learn as a beginner piano player, but why are they so
important? Well, playing your C major scale up and down isn’t just about practicing your
technique; scales are a foundational musical concept. Understanding scales means you’ll
understand keys and chords, which together form the building blocks of Western music.
In this post, we’ll discuss the role of scales, types of scales, and ways to apply the concept of
scales to your piano playing.
Table of Contents
What are piano scales?
Level 1: Major Scales
Level 2: Minor Scales
Level 3: Chromatic Scale
Level 4: Pentatonic Scales
Level 5: Blues Scales
Level 6: Modes
Level 7: Jazz Scales

�� Your Go-To Place for All Things Piano

Subscribe to The Note for exclusive interviews, fascinating articles, and inspiring lessons
delivered straight to your inbox. Unsubscribe at any time.

WHAT ARE PIANO SCALES?

According to Wikipedia, “a scale is any set of musical notes ordered by fundamental frequency or
pitch.”
Here’s a simpler definition that I like: “A series of notes arranged in an order according to specific
rules.”
The fundamental scales every piano player should know are the major and minor scales. Pianists
who want to play rock, blues, pop, and jazz should also learn the pentatonic and blues scales.
Finally, jazz uses even more scales, such as modes, bebop scales, and whole tone scales.

Why is practicing piano scales important?

Piano scales are often associated with technique And while it’s true that practicing your scales
.

will help you play faster and more smoothly, scales are important for understanding theory, too.
Practicing scales helps us understand concepts like key signature (how many sharps and flats
there are in a key).

How are scales used? What’s the practical

application of knowing your scales?
Piano scales also help piano players improvise For example, you can use any note from the C
!

major scale to improvise on top of a chord progression in C major. Blues and pentatonic scales
are also popular tools to improvise with.
We must also understand that scales and chords are closely related. Every scale has a strong
relationship with a chord. Scales and chords “imply” each other. For example, C Mixolydian and
C7 share many similarities. So, knowing what scale is related to what chord will help you
improvise over that chord.
But scales are so boring! How can I practice them
without falling asleep?
Many students find piano scales tedious to practice. That’s why we at Pianote love creating
practice routines that are fun, musical, and engaging. Here are a few:
Make Scales Fun (I Bet You Didn’t Know They Could Sound Like This!)
3 Tips to Make Your Scales More Exciting
Piano Practice Routine for Beginners (Not Boring)
Complete Practice Routine in D Minor

���� HOT TIP! Practice your piano scales over a chord progression. Not only will this
sound more musical, but it will also help you internalize the relationship between scales,
keys, and chords.

Now that we know what scales are and why they’re important, let’s explore some in ascending
order of difficulty. We’ll start with the scales every piano player should know regardless of the
style of music they play: major and minor scales.

LEVEL 1: MAJOR SCALES

Major scales sound “happy” and you may recognize them as the do-re-mi scale. These are the
first scales you should learn. All major scales follow the same formula of whole and half steps:
W-W-H-W-W-W-H. Half-steps are when two keys on the piano are right next to each other, while
whole steps have a key in between. Here are some examples of whole and half steps:

The notes of a scale are called scale degrees Major scales have seven degrees and they each
.

have a name: tonic, supertonic, mediant, subdominant, dominant, submediant, and leading tone.
You may hear scale degrees and degree names mentioned when musicians talk about diatonic
chords .

Here are the 12 major scales:

C Major C-Sharp Major / D-Flat Major ***
Notes: C-D-E-F-G-A-B-C Notes: D♭-E♭-F-G♭-A♭-B♭-C-D♭

D Major E-Flat Major

Notes: D-E-F♯-G-A-B-C♯-D Notes: E♭-F-G-A♭-B♭-C-D-E♭

E Major FMajor
Notes: E-F♯-G♯-A-B-C♯-D♯-E Notes: F-G-A-B♭-C-D-E-F

F- Sharp Major / G-Flat Major *** G Major

Notes: F♯-G♯-A♯-B-C♯-D♯-E♯-F♯ Notes: G-A-B-C-D-E-F♯-G
 A-Flat Major A Major
Notes: A♭-B♭-C-D♭-E♭-F-G-A♭ Notes: A-B-C♯-D-E-F♯-G♯-A

B-Flat Major B Major

Notes: B♭-C-D-E♭-F-G-A-B♭ Notes: B-C♯-D♯-E-F♯-G♯-A♯-B

***These scales can be notated in either a sharp key or a flat key, but we’ve chosen the more
common “spelling” of the scale for the diagram.

Instantly find a scale. No

Google required.
Get our handy piano-side reference book.
Includes the major, minor, blues, and
pentatonic piano scales along with common
chords and their inversions. Works without
Wi-Fi!

GET YOURS TODAY

LEVEL 2: MINOR SCALES

There are three types of minor scales: natural minor harmonic minor and melodic minor
, , .

Every minor key has a relative major key and relative keys share the same key signature (number
of sharps and flats). To find the relative major key of a minor key, count up three half-steps.
Here’s a summary:
 Relative Minor Key Relative Major Key Key Signature

A-Flat Minor C-Flat Major Bb, Eb, Ab, Db, Gb, Cb, Fb
A Minor C Major No sharps or flats
B-Flat Minor D-Flat Major Bb, Eb, Ab, Db, Gb
B Minor D Major F#, C#
C Minor E-Flat Major Bb, Eb, Ab
C-Sharp Minor / D-Flat Minor E Major / F-Flat Major F#, C#, G#, D#
D Minor F Major Bb
E-Flat Minor G-Flat Major Bb, Eb, Ab, Db, Gb, Cb
E Minor G Major F#
F Minor A-Flat Major Bb, Eb, Ab, Db
F-Sharp Minor / G-Flat Minor A Major F#, C#, G#
G Minor B-Flat Major Bb, Eb

Natural Minor Scales

The natural minor scale has the same key signature as the minor key’s relative major and there
are no additional accidentals. Here are the 12 natural minor scales:
A-Flat Natural Minor A Natural Minor
Notes: A♭-B♭-C♭-D♭-E♭-F♭-G♭-A♭ Notes: A-B-C-D-E-F-G-A

B-Flat Natural Minor B Natural Minor

Notes: B♭-C-D♭-E♭-F-G♭-A♭-B♭ Notes: B-C♯-D-E-F♯-G-A-B

C Natural Minor C-Sharp / D-Flat Natural Minor

Notes: C-D-E♭-F-G-A♭-B♭-C Notes: C♯-D♯-E-F♯-G♯-A-B-C♯

D Natural Minor E-Flat Natural Minor

Notes: D-E-F-G-A-B♭-C-D Notes: E♭-F-G♭-A♭-B♭-C♭-D♭-E♭

E Natural Minor F Natural Minor

Notes: E-F♯-G-A-B-C-D-E Notes: F-G-A♭-B♭-C-D♭-E♭-F

F-Sharp / G-Flat Minor G Natural Minor

Notes: F♯-G♯-A-B-C♯-D-E-F♯ Notes: G-A-B♭-C-D-E♭-F-G
Harmonic Minor Scales
The harmonic minor scale follows the key signature of the relative major key and raises the
seventh note of the scale one half-step For example, the seventh note of D minor, C, is raised
. to
C-sharp. Here are all the harmonic minor scales in all 12 keys:
A-Flat Harmonic Minor A Harmonic Minor
Notes: A♭-B♭-C♭-D-♭-E♭-F♭-G-A♭ Notes: A-B-C-D-E-F-G♯-A

B-Flat Harmonic Minor B Harmonic Minor

Notes: B♭-C-D♭-E♭-F-G♭-A-B♭ Notes: B-C♯-D-E-F♯-G-A♯-B

C Harmonic Minor C-Sharp / D-Flat Harmonic Minor

Notes: C-D-E♭-F-G-A♭-B-C Notes: C♯-D♯-E-F♯-G♯-A-B♯-C♯

D Harmonic Minor E-Flat Harmonic Minor

Notes: D-E-F-G-A-B♭-C♯-D Notes: E♭-F-G♭-A♭-B♭-C♭-D-E♭

E Harmonic Minor F Harmonic Minor

Notes: E-F♯-G-A-B-C-D♯-E Notes: F-G-A♭-B♭-C-D♭-E-F

F-Sharp / G-Flat Harmonic Minor G Harmonic Minor

Notes: F♯-G♯-A-B-C♯-D-E♯-F♯ Notes: G-A-B♭-C-D-E♭-F♯-G
 �� For Piano Players, By Piano Players

Love more guides like this? Subscribe to The Note for more quick tips, cheat sheets,
explainers, and other stuff piano players love. Delivered to your inbox for free.

Melodic Minor Scale

The melodic minor scale follows the key signature of its relative major key and raises the sixth
and seventh notes of the scale one half-step when ascending. Then, the sixth and seventh notes
of the scale are lowered back down when descending. Here are all the melodic minor scales in all
12 keys:
A-Flat Melodic Minor Scale A Melodic Minor Scale
Ascending: A♭-B♭-C♭-D♭-E♭-F-G-A♭ Ascending: A-B-C-D-E-F♯-G♯-A
Descending: A♭-G♭-F♭-E♭-D♭-C♭-B♭-A♭ Descending: A-G-F-E-D-C-B-C

Ascending Ascending

Descending Descending

B-Flat Melodic Minor Scale B Melodic Minor Scale

Ascending: B♭-C-D♭-E♭-F-G-A-B♭ Ascending: B-C♯-D-E-F♯-G♯-A♯-B
Descending: B♭-A♭-G♭-F-E♭-D♭-C-B♭ Descending: B-A-G-F♯-E-D-C♯-B

Ascending Ascending

Descending Descending

C Melodic Minor C-Sharp / D-Flat Melodic Minor

Ascending: C-D-E♭-F-G-A-B-C Ascending: C♯-D♯-E-F♯-G♯-A♯-B♯-C♯
Descending: C-B♭-A♭-G-F-E♭-D-C Descending: C♯-B-A-G♯-F♯-E-D♯-C♯
Ascending Ascending

Descending Descending

D Melodic Minor E-Flat Melodic Minor

Ascending: D-E-F-G-A-B-C♯-D Ascending: E♭-F-G♭-A♭-B♭-C-D-E♭
Descending: D-C-B♭-A-G-F-E-D Descending: E♭-D♭-C♭-B♭-A♭-G♭-F-E♭

Ascending Ascending

Descending Descending

E Melodic Minor Melodic Minor

F
Ascending: E-F♯-G-A-B-C♯-D♯-E Ascending: F-G-A♭-B♭-C-D-E-F
Descending: E-D-C-B-A-G-F♯-E Descending: F-E♭-D♭-C-B♭-A♭-G-F

Ascending Ascending

Descending Descending

F-Sharp / G-Flat Melodic Minor G Melodic Minor

Ascending: F♯-G♯-A-B-C♯-D♯-E♯-F♯ Ascending: G-A-B♭-C-D-E-F♯-G
Descending: F♯-E-D-C♯-B-A-G♯-F♯ Descending: G-F-E♭-D-C-B♭-A-G

Ascending Ascending

Descending Descending

LEVEL 3: CHROMATIC SCALE

The chromatic scale is a fun scale to learn because it’s easy to play fast and can sound very
impressive. All we’re doing is playing all twelve tones in an octave Here’s a chromatic scale
.

starting and ending on C with fingering:

The chromatic scale can sound crunchy though, so use it sparingly!

LEVEL 4: PENTATONIC SCALE

Main Lesson: The Mighty Pentatonic Scale
The pentatonic scale is a useful tool for improvisation because it’s rarely dissonant. It’s also a
very interesting scale because, unlike the major and minor scales, it’s present in virtually every
musical culture on earth. People seem to recognize this scale on a primal level.
There is a major pentatonic scale and a minor pentatonic scale .

Major Pentatonic Scale

The major pentatonic scale is built on the following major scale degrees: 1, 2, 3, 5, 6. Here are all
the major pentatonic scales in all 12 keys:
A-Flat Major Pentatonic A Major Pentatonic
Notes: A♭-B♭-C-E♭-F-A♭ Notes: A-B-C♯-E-F♯-A

B-Flat Major Pentatonic B Major Pentatonic

Notes: B♭-C-D-F-G-B♭ Notes: B-C♯-D♯-F♯-G♯-B

C Major Pentatonic C-Sharp / D-Flat Major Pentatonic

Notes: C-D-E-G-A-C Notes: D♭-E♭-F-A♭-B♭-D♭

D Major Pentatonic E-Flat Major Pentatonic

Notes: D-E-F♯-A-B-D Notes: E♭-F-G-B♭-C-E♭

E Major Pentatonic F Major Pentatonic

Notes: E-F♯-G♯-B-C♯-E Notes: F-G-A-C-D-F

F-Sharp / G-Flat Major Pentatonic G Major Pentatonic

Notes: F♯-G♯-A♯-C♯-D♯-F♯ Notes: G-A-B-D-E-G
Minor Pentatonic Scale
The minor pentatonic scale is built on the following minor scale degrees: 1, 3, 4, 5, 7. You can also
think of the minor pentatonic as being built on the following major scale degrees: 1, ♭3, 4, 5, ♭7.
Here are all the minor pentatonic scales in all 12 keys:
Note: When we say ♭3 or ♮3, we mean lowering the note by a half-step and leaving the note in its
natural diatonic state, respectively. For example, in E major, ♭3 is G-natural and ♮3 is G-sharp.
A-Flat Minor Pentatonic A Minor Pentatonic
Notes: A♭-C♭-D♭-E♭-G♭-A♭ Notes: A-C-D-E-G-A

B-Flat Minor Pentatonic B Minor Pentatonic

Notes: B♭-D♭-E♭-F-A♭-B♭ Notes: B-D-E-F♯-A-B

C Minor Pentatonic C-Sharp / D-Flat Minor Pentatonic

Notes: C-E♭-F-G-B♭-C Notes: C♯-E-F♯-G♯-B-C♯

D Minor Pentatonic E-Flat Minor Pentatonic

Notes: D-F-G-A-C-D Notes: E♭-G♭-A♭-B♭-D♭-E♭

E Minor Pentatonic F Minor Pentatonic

Notes: E-G-A-B-D-E Notes: F-A♭-B♭-C-E♭-F

F-Sharp G-Flat Minor Pentatonic

/ G Minor Pentatonic
Notes: F♯-A-B-C♯-E-F♯ Notes: G-B♭-C-D-F-G

LEVEL 5: BLUES SCALES

Main Lesson: Master the Blues Scale on Piano
The blues scale is another versatile tool to have in your improvising arsenal. Its instantly
recognizable sound comes from the “blue” notes, which have been lowered by a half-step. Try
sneaking a blues riff into a rock song or improvise with it in a 12-bar blues.

The Major Blues Scale

The major blues scale is based on the following major scale degrees: 1, 2, ♭3,♮3, 5, 6. Here are all
the major blues scales in all 12 keys:

���� TAKE NOTE! When we say ♭3 or ♮3, we mean lowering the note by a half-step and
leaving the note in its natural, diatonic state. So, for example, in E major, ♭3 is G-natural and
♮3 is G-sharp.

A-Flat Major Blues A Major Blues

Notes: A♭-B♭-C♭-C-E♭-F-A♭ Notes: A-B-C-C♯-E-F♯-A

B-Flat Major Blues B major Blues

Notes: B♭-C-D♭-D-F-G-B♭ Notes: B-C♯-D-D♯-F♯-G♯-B

C Major Blues C-Sharp / D-Flat Major Blues

Notes: C-D-E♭-E-G-A-C Notes: D♭-E♭-F♭-F-A♭-B♭-D♭

D Major Blues E-Flat Major Blues

Notes: D-E-F-F♯-A-B-D Notes: E♭-F-G♭-G-B♭-C-E♭

E Major Blues F Major Blues

Notes: E-F♯-G-G♯-B-C♯-E Notes: F-G-A♭-A-C-D-F

F-Sharp / G-Flat Major Blues G Major Blues

Notes: F♯-G♯-A-A♯-C♯-D♯-F♯ Notes: G-A-B♭-B-D-E-G

The Minor Blues Scale

The minor blues scale is based on the following minor scale degrees: 1, 3, 4, ♭5, 5, 7. You can
also think of it as being built on the following major scale degrees: 1, ♭3, 4, ♭5, 5, ♭7. The minor
blues is more common and is often just called “the blues scale.” Here are all the minor blues
scales in all 12 keys:
A-Flat Minor Blues A Minor Blues
Notes: A♭-C♭-D♭-E♭♭-E♭-G♭-A♭ Notes: A-C-D-E♭-E-G-A
 B-Flat Minor Blues B Minor Blues
Notes: B♭-D♭-E♭-F♭-F-A♭-B♭ Notes: B-D-E-F-F♯-A-B

C Minor Blues C-Sharp / D-Flat Minor Blues

C-E♭-F-G♭-G-B♭-C Notes: C♯-E-F♯-G-G♯-B-C♯

D Minor Blues E-Flat Minor Blues

Notes: D-F-G-A♭-A-C-D Notes: E♭-G♭-A♭-B♭♭-B♭-D♭-E♭

E Minor Blues F Minor Blues

Notes: E-G-A-B♭-B-D-E Notes: F-A♭-B♭-C♭-C-E♭-F

F-Sharp / G-Flat Minor Blues G Minor Blues

Notes: F♯-A-B-C-C♯-E-F♯ Notes: G-B♭-C-D♭-D-F-G

LEVEL 6: MODES
Main Lesson: Play Like A Jazz Pianist (An Introduction To Modes)
By now, you should be comfortable with major scales. Did you know that there are seven ways to
play one major scale? We can do this by starting and ending on each of the seven degrees of the
major scale. These are called modes For example, playing the C major scale starting and ending
.

on D gives us the D Dorian mode.

There are seven major modes and they each have a Greek name. Each mode conveys a unique
mood. For example, Lydian is known for sounding “bright” while Dorian is known for sounding
“dark.”
When it comes to figuring out what sharps or flats are in a mode, you can think of it in terms of 1)
“borrowing” a key signature from another scale; or 2) altering the original major scale degrees.
Here’s a table summarizing major modes that start on C. Minor scales have modes too, but those
are less common.
 Associated Key
Formula (Scale
Mode Notes (“Borrowed” Key
Degrees)
Signature)
C Ionian C-D-E-F-G-A-B C Major 1-2-3-4-5-6-7
C Dorian C-D-E♭-F-G-A-B♭ B-Flat Major 1-2-♭3-4-5-6-♭7
C Phrygian C-D♭-E♭-F-G-A♭-B♭ A-Flat Major 1-♭2-♭3-4-5-♭6-♭7
C Lydian C-D-E-F#-G-A-B G Major 1-2-3-#4-5-6-7
C Mixolydian C-D-E-F-G-A-B♭ F Major 1-2-3-4-5-6-♭7
C Aeolian C-D-E♭-F-G-A♭-B♭ E-Flat Major 1-2-♭3-4-5-♭6-♭7
C Locrian C-D♭-E♭-F-G♭-A♭-B♭ D-Flat Major 1-♭2-♭3-4-♭5-♭6-♭7

Here’s an example of how we can figure out what notes belong in C Dorian using the borrowed
key signature method:
Dorian is the second mode. Therefore, treat C as the diatonic second note of an unknown
scale.
In what scale is C the second note of? B-flat major.
Therefore, C Dorian starts and ends on C and follows the key signature of B-flat major (B♭, E♭).

This is fairly straightforward. However, many musicians argue that it’s better to think of modes in
terms of a formula applied to scale degrees. Thinking about modes in this way lets you
understand the concept in terms of what we’ve done to alter the degrees of the major scale.

LEVEL 7: JAZZ SCALES

In the jazz world, there is a bounty of additional scales with unique sounds that musicians use to
improvise. Here are a few explained in brief.

Jazz Melodic Minor

This scale is often nicknamed the “jazz minor.” It’s basically the ascending classical melodic
minor scale, but jazz musicians tend to think of it in terms of degrees of the major scale. A jazz
melodic minor scale would be expressed like this: 1-2-♭3-4-5-6-7.
This is a useful scale to solo over minor major 7th chords, such as an Am(maj7). Placed side by
side, you can see how much this scale and chord have in common:
A Melodic Minor Jazz Scale Am(maj7)
Notes: A-B-C-D-E-F♯-G♯-A Notes: A-C-E-G♯

Whole Tone Scale

The whole tone scale is exactly what its name suggests: a scale made entirely of whole steps.
Here is a whole tone scale starting on C.

C Whole Tone Scale Notes: C-D-E-F♯-G♯-A♯-C

This scale has a strange, ambiguous sound that is quite unique. In classical music, late 19th
century composers like Claude Debussy used the whole tone sound to convey dreamy
atmospheres. Whole tone scales are also popular in jazz.

Bebop Scales
A bebop scale is built by taking a regular seven-note scale and adding a chromatic passing tone
to it. The most common bebop scales are the major bebop dominant bebop dorian bebop
, , ,

harmonic minor bebop and the melodic minor bebop Here’s the major bebop scale. You can
, .

see that it’s a regular seven-note C major scale with an added G-sharp/A-flat.
 C Major Bebop Scale Notes: C-D-E-F-G-G♯-A-B-C
Seven-note scales are “bebop’d” to turn them into eight-note scales. This makes the scale have an
even number of notes so that chord tones can be played on the downbeat. Bebop scales were
popularized during the bebop era of jazz, when players scatted along to their playing (eg. “be-ba-
doo-ba-doo-ba!” ).

Diminished Scales
Diminished scales contain an alternating pattern of whole and half steps. There are two main
types of diminished scale: one starts with a whole step ( whole-half diminished ) and the other
starts with a half step ( half-whole diminished or “dominant” diminished ). You can also think of
the diminished scale as one diminished 7th chord superimposed on another diminished 7th
chord.
For example, here is a half-whole diminished scale starting on C visualized as a C#dim7 chord
over a Cdim7 chord.

C Half-Whole Diminished Scale Notes: C-C♯-E♭-E-G♭-G-B♭♭-B♭

The diminished scale has a funky sound and a lot of harmonic potential. In jazz, it’s often used
with diminished and dominant chords.

We hope this introduction to piano scales and modes has been helpful to your piano journey!
Remember: practicing scales isn’t just for exercise. When you practice, notice how you alter
degrees of the scale, the accidentals you use, the sound and mood, and the scale “shape” your
hands play. With practice, you’ll internalize the formula for each scale.
Happy practicing!

Learn Piano, Step-by-Step ��

Get a deeper dive into piano, sight reading, and theory as a Pianote Member. You’ll get
access to our 10-step Method, song library, and growing community of piano players just
like you. Plus: get coached by world-class pianists and learn whenever you want, wherever
you want, and whatever you want.

TRY PIANOTE FOR 7 DAYS

SHARE THIS:

Charmaine Li is a Vancouver writer who has played piano for over 20 years.
She holds an Associate diploma (ARCT) from the Royal Conservatory of Music
and loves writing about the ways in which music—and music learning
—affects the human experience. Charmaine manages The Note. Learn more
about Charmaine here .
 The easier way to learn piano chords
so you can play popular songs!

By signing up you’ll also receive our ongoing free lessons and special
offers. Don’t worry, we value your privacy and you can unsubscribe at
any time.

Stay Connected Resources PIANOTE SHOP Other Sites

Join over 200,000 piano players The Pianote Note Pianote Membership Musora
who get free lessons twice a week. Chord Hacks 500 Songs In 5 Days Drumeo
Sign up
Getting Started On Piano Playing Beautiful Piano Guitareo
5 Days To Playing Piano Chords & Scales Book Singeo
Learn 3 Songs On Piano Practice Planner

107-31265 Wheel Ave. Abbotsford, BC, V2T 6H2 Canada

Toll Free: 1-800-439-8921 / Direct: 1-604-855-7605 / Contact Us

Musora Media, Inc. © 2023 - Terms / Privacy / Careers / Brand Guide