Music Scale Calculator — Notes in Any Scale or Mode
Select a root note and scale type to see every note in the scale, the interval steps between them, and their positions on the chromatic wheel. Supports major, natural/harmonic/melodic minor, pentatonic, dorian, phrygian, mixolydian, and chromatic scales.
Root note
Scale type
How does this calculator work?
A scale is a root note plus a fixed pattern of semitone intervals. Major = [0,2,4,5,7,9,11]; natural minor = [0,2,3,5,7,8,10]; major pentatonic = [0,2,4,7,9]. Select root and scale type to see all notes. C major = C D E F G A B; A minor = A B C D E F G.
Formula
How this is calculated
A scale is defined by a pattern of semitone intervals above a root note. The major scale pattern [0, 2, 4, 5, 7, 9, 11] — corresponding to the interval sequence W-W-H-W-W-W-H (whole and half steps) — is the most common. Starting from any root note and adding those semitone offsets (mod 12 to stay within one octave) gives the seven notes of that major scale. All other scales use different patterns: natural minor is [0, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 10], harmonic minor raises the 7th degree by one semitone to [0, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 11], and so on.
Pentatonic scales use only five notes by omitting the 4th and 7th degrees of the major scale (major pentatonic: [0, 2, 4, 7, 9]) or the 2nd and 6th of the minor scale (minor pentatonic: [0, 3, 5, 7, 10]). Modes are rotations of the major scale starting on different degrees: Dorian starts on the 2nd degree, Phrygian on the 3rd, Mixolydian on the 5th — each with its own characteristic sound.
The chromatic scale includes all 12 semitones and serves as a reference for all other scales. The note names shown use sharp notation (C♯ rather than D♭); in practice the enharmonic spelling depends on the musical key and context.
Frequently asked questions
Seven, plus the octave root as an implied 8th. The pattern is whole-whole-half-whole-whole-whole-half steps (W-W-H-W-W-W-H), giving semitone gaps of 2-2-1-2-2-2-1. For example, C major: C-D-E-F-G-A-B.
Natural minor follows the pattern [0,2,3,5,7,8,10] — it is the Aeolian mode. Harmonic minor raises the 7th degree by a semitone to create a leading tone, giving pattern [0,2,3,5,7,8,11]. Melodic minor (ascending form) also raises the 6th degree: [0,2,3,5,7,9,11]. Classical practice traditionally lowers both raised degrees when descending, but modern usage often keeps the ascending form throughout.
C♯ and D♭ are enharmonic equivalents — they sound identical on a modern equal-tempered instrument (both are 1 semitone above C) but are notated differently depending on the key. This calculator uses sharp names for all chromatic notes; in a key with flats (e.g. F major or B♭ major) you would spell some notes as B♭ or E♭ rather than A♯ or D♯.
Also known as
TG we-Calculate Editorial Team. (2026). Music Scale Calculator — Notes in Any Scale or Mode [Online calculator]. TG we-Calculate. https://we-calculate.com/calculator/music-scale-calculator
TG we-Calculate Editorial Team. "Music Scale Calculator — Notes in Any Scale or Mode." TG we-Calculate. 2026. https://we-calculate.com/calculator/music-scale-calculator.
TG we-Calculate Editorial Team, "Music Scale Calculator — Notes in Any Scale or Mode," TG we-Calculate, 2026. [Online]. Available: https://we-calculate.com/calculator/music-scale-calculator
@misc{wecalculate_music_scale_calculator, title = {Music Scale Calculator — Notes in Any Scale or Mode}, author = {{TG we-Calculate Editorial Team}}, howpublished = {\url{https://we-calculate.com/calculator/music-scale-calculator}}, year = {2026}, note = {TG we-Calculate} }
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