Scale Finder
Select a root note and scale type to see all notes, intervals, and a keyboard diagram.
Keyboard Diagram (one octave)
| Degree | Note | Interval | Semitones |
|---|
About this tool
Scale Finder
Scale Finder builds any scale from a root note and a scale type, showing every note, the intervals between them, and the scale degrees on a mini keyboard.
How to use it
- Pick a root note.
- Pick a scale type.
- Read the notes, intervals and degree numbers, and see the shape on the keyboard.
Notes, intervals and degrees
The notes tell you what to play. The intervals tell you the distance between consecutive notes. The degrees tell you each note's function relative to the root, which is the part that transfers to other keys.
Degrees are what let you talk about music portably. The fifth degree pulls toward the root in every key, so once you hear that relationship you can use it anywhere.
When it helps
- Working out the notes of an unfamiliar scale.
- Comparing two scales to see which notes actually differ.
- Finding a scale that fits a chord you are improvising over.
- Checking a scale before writing it into a part.
Common mistakes
- Learning notes without degrees. Note names change with every key, degrees never do.
- Assuming a scale name means one fixed thing. Minor alone can mean natural, harmonic or melodic, and they differ in the sixth and seventh degrees.
