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Music Scale Finder

Visualize musical scales on piano and guitar. Generate diatonic chords, explore guitar tunings, and hear scale audio references.

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About

Musicians often struggle to visualize how theoretical concepts translate to their physical instrument. This tool maps abstract interval formulas onto concrete interfaces like the piano keyboard and guitar fretboard. Accuracy in interval calculation is critical for composition. A single semitone error can shift a melody from a major key to a minor mode or introduce unintended dissonance.

The system calculates note sequences based on equal temperament tuning. It handles the translation of root notes and intervals into specific fingerings. This allows guitarists to explore alternate tunings without manually recalculating positions. Pianists can visualize the shape of exotic scales beyond the standard major and minor keys. The generated data provides a strict reference for improvisation and harmonic analysis.

scale generator guitar modes piano scales music theory diatonic chords

Formulas

Scales are constructed by applying a specific sequence of intervals (measured in semitones) to a root note frequency f0. The frequency of any note n steps away from the root is calculated using the equal temperament formula.

fn = f0 × (2)n12

When mapping to a fretboard, the position P (fret number) for a target note Ntarget on a string tuned to Nopen is derived via modular arithmetic.

P = (Ntarget − Nopen) mod 12

Reference Data

Scale NameInterval Structure (Semitones)Formula NotationMood / Character
Major (Ionian)2-2-1-2-2-2-11 2 3 4 5 6 7Happy, Stable, Resolved
Natural Minor (Aeolian)2-1-2-2-1-2-21 2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7Sad, Serious, Melancholic
Harmonic Minor2-1-2-2-1-3-11 2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 7Exotic, Classical, Tension
Major Pentatonic2-2-3-2-31 2 3 5 6Bright, Open, Folk
Minor Pentatonic3-2-2-3-21 ♭3 4 5 ♭7Bluesy, Rock, Versatile
Blues Scale3-2-1-1-3-21 ♭3 4 ♭5 5 ♭7Gritty, Soulful, Jazz
Dorian Mode2-1-2-2-2-1-21 2 ♭3 4 5 6 ♭7Jazzy, Minor but Bright
Phrygian Mode1-2-2-2-1-2-21 ♭2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7Spanish, Dark, Metal
Lydian Mode2-2-2-1-2-2-11 2 3 ♯4 5 6 7Dreamy, Floating, Sci-Fi
Mixolydian Mode2-2-1-2-2-1-21 2 3 4 5 6 ♭7Blues-Rock, Jam Band
Locrian Mode1-2-2-1-2-2-21 ♭2 ♭3 4 ♭5 ♭6 ♭7Unstable, Dissonant
Whole Tone2-2-2-2-2-21 2 3 ♯4 ♯5 ♭7Dreamy, Unsettling

Frequently Asked Questions

This tool standardizes on sharps (e.g., C♯) to simplify the visual logic for the engine. In strict music theory, certain keys require flats (e.g., F Major uses B♭, not A♯) to ensure every letter name is used exactly once. For the purpose of physical visualization on a fretboard or keyboard, the pitch is identical (enharmonic equivalence), even if the naming convention varies.
Changing the tuning alters the interval relationship between adjacent strings. For example, in Drop D, the lowest string is tuned down two semitones. This breaks the standard "perfect fourth" symmetry of the fretboard, forcing scale shapes on the bottom string to shift up by two frets relative to the other strings.
Diatonic chords are triads (3-note chords) built strictly using the notes available in the selected scale. For a C Major scale, the chords are built by stacking thirds: C-E-G (C Major), D-F-A (D Minor), etc. These chords naturally sound "correct" when played within that key.
Yes. A standard 4-string bass is tuned exactly like the bottom four strings of a guitar (E-A-D-G), simply one octave lower. You can use the "Standard Tuning" setting and ignore the top two strings (B and E) on the visualizer.
The Natural Minor scale has a flat 7th. The Harmonic Minor raises the 7th to create a "leading tone" that resolves strongly to the root, giving it a classical or exotic sound. The Melodic Minor raises both the 6th and 7th when ascending to smooth out the melodic line, often reverting to Natural Minor when descending (though in modern jazz, the ascending form is often used for both).