Scale Generator
Generate any musical scale with correctly spelled notes, degrees, step pattern, key signature and diatonic chords.
C Major
C D E F G A B C
Descending: C B A G F E D C
- Notes
- 7
- Scale degrees
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
- Step pattern
- W W H W W W H
- Semitones from root
- 0 2 4 5 7 9 11
- Accidentals
- None
- Relative key
- A minor
Notes and pitches
| Degree | Note | Semitones | Frequency |
|---|
Diatonic chords
Diatonic triads and seventh chords are built by stacking thirds, so they are shown for seven-note scales only.
C Dm Em F G Am Bdim
Cmaj7 Dm7 Em7 Fmaj7 G7 Am7 Bm7b5
| Numeral | Triad | Seventh chord |
|---|
Your browser has no Web Audio support, so playback is unavailable. Everything else on this page still works.
Note names use plain text accidentals: # for sharp and b for flat.
Pitches use equal temperament with A4 = 440 Hz.
How it works
Pick a root note and a scale, and the generator spells the scale out for you. Each scale is stored as a set of semitone offsets from the root — major is 0-2-4-5-7-9-11, natural minor is 0-2-3-5-7-8-10, and so on. For seven-note scales the notes are then named one letter at a time (A, B, C, D, E, F, G in order) and the accidental is chosen so the letter lands on the right pitch. That is why G major is spelled F# and not Gb, and why Gb major contains a Cb: every scale degree gets its own letter, which is exactly how key signatures work.
The step pattern uses W for a whole step, H for a half step and WH for the augmented second
you find in harmonic minor. Diatonic chords are built by stacking thirds on each degree, so
the triad on degree 1 of a major scale is 1-3-5 and comes out major, while degree 7 gives a
diminished triad. Frequencies come from equal temperament with A4 = 440 Hz, using
f = 440 × 2^((m − 69) / 12), so middle C (C4) reads 261.63 Hz. Pentatonic, blues,
whole tone and chromatic scales skip the chord table because they cannot be stacked in thirds.
Everything is computed in your browser with plain JavaScript, and playback uses the Web Audio
API locally. Nothing is uploaded, there is no sign-up and there are no ads. You can also link
straight to a scale with query parameters, for example
?root=A&scale=harmonic-minor.
Frequently asked questions
How does the generator decide whether a note is a sharp or a flat?
For seven-note scales every degree gets its own letter name, in order: A, B, C, D, E, F, G. The generator steps through the letters and adds whichever accidental puts that letter on the right pitch. That is why G major is spelled F# rather than Gb, and why Gb major contains a Cb — the same rule that produces key signatures. Pentatonic, blues and whole-tone scales follow the same letter logic; the chromatic scale falls back to a sharp or flat set because twelve notes cannot each take their own letter.
What is the difference between the major and natural minor scales?
Both have seven notes, but the step patterns differ. Major is W W H W W W H (semitones 0-2-4-5-7-9-11) and natural minor is W H W W H W W (0-2-3-5-7-8-10), so the minor scale has a flat third, sixth and seventh. Every major scale shares its notes with the natural minor a minor third below — C major and A minor use the same seven notes, which the tool shows as the relative key.
Why do pentatonic, blues and chromatic scales show no chord table?
Diatonic chords are built by stacking thirds on each scale degree, which only lines up for seven-note scales. A five-note pentatonic or six-note blues scale has no consistent stack of thirds, and the chromatic scale contains every note, so the tool hides the chord table for those and shows the notes, degrees, step pattern and frequencies instead.