How this calculator works
Every scale is a set of semitone offsets from its root. The major scale uses 0, 2, 4, 5, 7, 9 and 11, which is the pattern of whole and half steps 2 2 1 2 2 2 1. Other scales change one or two steps: the natural minor lowers the third, sixth and seventh, the Dorian mode raises the sixth of the minor, and the blues scale adds a lowered fifth. The page spells each note by its letter name and then fits the accidental, so a C minor third is Eb rather than D#. The semitone pattern column wraps back to the root, and the degree formula numbers each note from 1.
Formula
note n = root + interval[n] in semitones, spelled by letter. The semitone pattern is the difference between successive intervals, with the last value closing the octave back to the root. The degree formula counts each note as 1, 2, 3 and so on.
Worked example
C major: the intervals 0, 2, 4, 5, 7, 9, 11 give the notes C D E F G A B, the pattern 2 2 1 2 2 2 1 and the formula 1 2 3 4 5 6 7. A natural minor: the intervals 0, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 10 from A give A B C D E F G, with the pattern 2 1 2 2 1 2 2. D Dorian: 0, 2, 3, 5, 7, 9, 10 from D gives D E F G A B C.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a mode and a scale?
The modes are the major scale started from a different degree. D Dorian uses the same notes as C major but starts on D, so it has a different pattern of whole and half steps and a different feel. The page lists each mode by its own interval pattern, which is the same result.
Why does the blues scale have six notes?
It is the minor pentatonic with a passing note added. From C that is C, Eb, F, Gb, G and Bb: the five-note minor pentatonic plus the lowered fifth. Players often bend into the passing note rather than settling on it.
How is the scale spelled?
Each note takes the next letter name and then the accidental that reaches the right pitch. This is why F# major uses E# for its seventh rather than F, and why the same written note can appear with a double flat in a diminished chord. Choose flats or sharps for the root spelling; the rest follow.
Can I use this to build chords on a scale?
Yes. Stack alternate degrees, 1 3 5, to get the triad on the first degree, then 2 4 6 for the second and so on. The chord qualities follow from the scale. The chord pages on this site show the notes for each chord type directly.