In this blog post I ask how many musical scales there are. Here are the results.
As discussed in that post, I only consider ascending sequences of eight notes (including both roots) that have no interval larger than three half steps (i.e. an augmented second). This includes a lot of well-known scales, but it leaves out others: the chromatic scale, whole tone scale, pentatonic scales, blues scale, etc.
If you know of names for any of the scales that don’t have names, please send me an email. Thanks for your help.
Update: See Pete White’s free ebook exploring all possible scales with from 3 to 11 notes.
|--------------+-----------------------+-------------------| | Scale number | Notes | Name | |--------------+-----------------------+-------------------| | 303 | C D# F# G# A A# B C | | | 311 | C D# F# G A A# B C | | | 315 | C D# F# G G# A# B C | | | 317 | C D# F# G G# A B C | | | 318 | C D# F# G G# A Bb C | | | 335 | C D# F G# A A# B C | | | 343 | C D# F G A A# B C | | | 347 | C D# F G G# A# B C | | | 349 | C D# F G G# A B C | | | 350 | C D# F G G# A Bb C | | | 359 | C D# F F# A A# B C | | | 363 | C D# F F# G# A# B C | | | 365 | C D# F F# G# A B C | | | 366 | C D# E# F# G# A Bb C | | | 371 | C D# F F# G A# B C | | | 373 | C D# F F# G A B C | | | 374 | C D# F F# G A Bb C | | | 377 | C D# F F# G Ab B C | | | 378 | C D# F F# G Ab Bb C | | | 380 | C D# F F# G G# A C | | | 407 | C D# E G A A# B C | | | 411 | C D# E G G# A# B C | | | 413 | C D# E G G# A B C | | | 414 | C D# E G G# A Bb C | | | 423 | C D# E F# A A# B C | | | 427 | C D# E F# G# A# B C | | | 429 | C D# E F# G# A B C | | | 430 | C D# E F# G# A Bb C | | | 435 | C D# E F# G A# B C | | | 437 | C D# E F# G A B C | | | 438 | C D# E F# G A Bb C | | | 441 | C D# E F# G Ab B C | | | 442 | C D# E F# G Ab Bb C | | | 444 | C D# E F# G Ab A C | | | 459 | C D# E F G# A# B C | | | 461 | C D# E F G# A B C | | | 462 | C D# E F G# A Bb C | | | 467 | C D# E F G A# B C | | | 469 | C D# E F G A B C | | | 470 | C D# E F G A Bb C | | | 473 | C D# E F G Ab B C | | | 474 | C D# E F G Ab Bb C | | | 476 | C D# E F G Ab A C | | | 485 | C D# E F Gb A B C | | | 486 | C D# E F Gb A Bb C | | | 489 | C D# E F Gb Ab B C | | | 490 | C D# E F Gb Ab Bb C | | | 492 | C D# E F F# G# A C | | | 498 | C D# E F F# G Bb C | | | 500 | C D# E F F# G A C | | | 591 | C D E# G# A A# B C | | | 599 | C D E# G A A# B C | | | 603 | C D E# G G# A# B C | | | 605 | C D E# G G# A B C | | | 606 | C D E# G G# A Bb C | | | 615 | C D E# F# A A# B C | | | 619 | C D E# F# G# A# B C | | | 621 | C D E# F# G# A B C | | | 622 | C D F F# G# A Bb C | | | 627 | C D F F# G A# B C | | | 629 | C D F F# G A B C | | | 630 | C D F F# G A Bb C | | | 633 | C D F F# G Ab B C | | | 634 | C D F F# G Ab Bb C | | | 636 | C D F F# G G# A C | | | 663 | C D E G A A# B C | | | 667 | C D E G G# A# B C | | | 669 | C D E G G# A B C | | | 670 | C D E G G# A Bb C | | | 679 | C D E F# A A# B C | | | 683 | C D E F# G# A# B C | | | 685 | C D E F# G# A B C | Lydian augmented | | 686 | C D E F# G# A Bb C | | | 691 | C D E F# G A# B C | | | 693 | C D E F# G A B C | Lydian mode | | 694 | C D E F# G A Bb C | Lydian dominant | | 697 | C D E F# G Ab B C | | | 698 | C D E F# G Ab Bb C | | | 700 | C D E F# G G# A C | | | 715 | C D E F G# A# B C | | | 717 | C D E F G# A B C | | | 718 | C D E F G# A Bb C | | | 723 | C D E F G A# B C | | | 725 | C D E F G A B C | Major | | 726 | C D E F G A Bb C | Mixolydian mode | | 729 | C D E F G Ab B C | | | 730 | C D E F G Ab Bb C | | | 732 | C D E F G Ab A C | | | 741 | C D E F Gb A B C | | | 742 | C D E F Gb A Bb C | | | 745 | C D E F Gb Ab B C | | | 746 | C D E F Gb Ab Bb C | | | 748 | C D E F Gb Ab A C | | | 754 | C D E F Gb G Bb C | | | 756 | C D E F Gb G A C | | | 807 | C D Eb F# A A# B C | | | 811 | C D Eb F# G# A# B C | | | 813 | C D Eb F# G# A B C | | | 814 | C D Eb F# G# A Bb C | | | 819 | C D Eb F# G A# B C | | | 821 | C D Eb F# G A B C | | | 822 | C D Eb F# G A Bb C | | | 825 | C D Eb F# G Ab B C | Hungarian minor | | 826 | C D Eb F# G Ab Bb C | Ukrainian Dorian | | 828 | C D Eb F# G G# A C | | | 843 | C D Eb F G# A# B C | | | 845 | C D Eb F G# A B C | | | 846 | C D Eb F G# A Bb C | | | 851 | C D Eb F G A# B C | | | 853 | C D Eb F G A B C | | | 854 | C D Eb F G A Bb C | Dorian mode | | 857 | C D Eb F G Ab B C | | | 858 | C D Eb F G Ab Bb C | Natural minor | | 860 | C D Eb F G G# A C | | | 869 | C D Eb F Gb A B C | | | 870 | C D Eb F Gb A Bb C | | | 873 | C D Eb F Gb Ab B C | | | 874 | C D Eb F Gb Ab Bb C | | | 876 | C D Eb F Gb Ab A C | | | 882 | C D Eb F Gb G Bb C | | | 884 | C D Eb F Gb G A C | | | 915 | C D Eb E G A# B C | | | 917 | C D Eb Fb G A B C | | | 918 | C D Eb Fb G A Bb C | | | 921 | C D Eb Fb G Ab B C | | | 922 | C D Eb Fb G Ab Bb C | | | 924 | C D Eb Fb G Ab A C | | | 933 | C D Eb Fb Gb A B C | | | 934 | C D Eb Fb Gb A Bb C | | | 937 | C D Eb Fb Gb Ab B C | | | 938 | C D Eb Fb Gb Ab Bb C | | | 940 | C D Eb Fb Gb Ab A C | | | 946 | C D Eb Fb Gb G Bb C | | | 948 | C D Eb Fb Gb G A C | | | 969 | C D Eb E F Ab B C | | | 970 | C D Eb E F Ab Bb C | | | 972 | C D Eb E F G# A C | | | 978 | C D Eb E F G Bb C | | | 980 | C D Eb E F G A C | | | 996 | C D Eb E F Gb A C | | | 1175 | C Db E G A A# B C | | | 1179 | C Db E G G# A# B C | | | 1181 | C Db E G G# A B C | | | 1182 | C Db E G G# A Bb C | | | 1191 | C Db E F# A A# B C | | | 1195 | C Db E F# G# A# B C | Enigmatic | | 1197 | C Db E F# G# A B C | | | 1198 | C Db E F# G# A Bb C | | | 1203 | C Db E F# G A# B C | | | 1205 | C Db E F# G A B C | | | 1206 | C Db E F# G A Bb C | | | 1209 | C Db E F# G Ab B C | | | 1210 | C Db E F# G Ab Bb C | | | 1212 | C Db E F# G G# A C | | | 1227 | C Db E F G# A# B C | | | 1229 | C Db E F G# A B C | | | 1230 | C Db E F G# A Bb C | | | 1235 | C Db E F G A# B C | | | 1237 | C Db E F G A B C | | | 1238 | C Db E F G A Bb C | | | 1241 | C Db E F G Ab B C | Double harmonic | | 1242 | C Db E F G Ab Bb C | Phrygian dominant | | 1244 | C Db E F G Ab A C | | | 1253 | C Db E F Gb A B C | | | 1254 | C Db E F Gb A Bb C | | | 1257 | C Db E F Gb Ab B C | Persian | | 1258 | C Db E F Gb Ab Bb C | | | 1260 | C Db E F Gb Ab A C | | | 1266 | C Db E F Gb G Bb C | | | 1268 | C Db E F Gb G A C | | | 1319 | C Db Eb F# A A# B C | | | 1323 | C Db Eb F# G# A# B C | | | 1325 | C Db Eb F# G# A B C | | | 1326 | C Db Eb F# G# A Bb C | | | 1331 | C Db Eb F# G A# B C | | | 1333 | C Db Eb F# G A B C | | | 1334 | C Db Eb F# G A Bb C | | | 1337 | C Db Eb F# G Ab B C | | | 1338 | C Db Eb F# G Ab Bb C | | | 1340 | C Db Eb F# G G# A C | | | 1355 | C Db Eb F G# A# B C | | | 1357 | C Db Eb F G# A B C | | | 1358 | C Db Eb F G# A Bb C | | | 1363 | C Db Eb F G A# B C | | | 1365 | C Db Eb F G A B C | | | 1366 | C Db Eb F G A Bb C | | | 1369 | C Db Eb F G Ab B C | | | 1370 | C Db Eb F G Ab Bb C | Phrygian mode | | 1372 | C Db Eb F G G# A C | | | 1381 | C Db Eb F Gb A B C | | | 1382 | C Db Eb F Gb A Bb C | | | 1385 | C Db Eb F Gb Ab B C | | | 1386 | C Db Eb F Gb Ab Bb C | Locrian mode | | 1388 | C Db Eb F Gb G# A C | | | 1394 | C Db Eb F Gb G Bb C | | | 1396 | C Db Eb F Gb G A C | | | 1427 | C Db Eb E G A# B C | | | 1429 | C Db Eb E G A B C | | | 1430 | C Db Eb E G A Bb C | | | 1433 | C Db Eb E G Ab B C | | | 1434 | C Db Eb E G Ab Bb C | | | 1436 | C Db Eb E G G# A C | | | 1445 | C Db Eb E F# A B C | | | 1446 | C Db Eb E F# A Bb C | | | 1449 | C Db Eb E F# Ab B C | | | 1450 | C Db Eb E F# Ab Bb C | Altered scale | | 1452 | C Db Eb E F# G# A C | | | 1458 | C Db Eb E F# G Bb C | | | 1460 | C Db Eb E F# G A C | | | 1481 | C Db Eb E F Ab B C | | | 1482 | C Db Eb E F Ab Bb C | | | 1484 | C Db Eb E F G# A C | | | 1490 | C Db Eb E F G Bb C | | | 1492 | C Db Eb E F G A C | | | 1508 | C Db Eb E F Gb A C | | | 1611 | C Db D F G# A# B C | | | 1613 | C Db D F G# A B C | | | 1614 | C Db D F G# A Bb C | | | 1619 | C Db D F G A# B C | | | 1621 | C Db D F G A B C | | | 1622 | C Db D F G A Bb C | | | 1625 | C Db D F G Ab B C | | | 1626 | C Db D F G Ab Bb C | | | 1628 | C Db D F G G# A C | | | 1637 | C Db D F F# A B C | | | 1638 | C Db D F F# A Bb C | | | 1641 | C Db D F F# Ab B C | | | 1642 | C Db D F F# Ab Bb C | | | 1644 | C Db D F F# G# A C | | | 1650 | C Db D F F# G Bb C | | | 1652 | C Db D F F# G A C | | | 1683 | C Db D E G A# B C | | | 1685 | C Db D E G A B C | | | 1686 | C Db D E G A Bb C | | | 1689 | C Db D E G Ab B C | | | 1690 | C Db D E G Ab Bb C | | | 1692 | C Db D E G G# A C | | | 1701 | C Db D E F# A B C | | | 1702 | C Db D E F# A Bb C | | | 1705 | C Db D E F# Ab B C | | | 1706 | C Db D E F# Ab Bb C | | | 1708 | C Db D E F# G# A C | | | 1714 | C Db D E F# G Bb C | | | 1716 | C Db D E F# G A C | | | 1737 | C Db D E F Ab B C | | | 1738 | C Db D E F Ab Bb C | | | 1740 | C Db D E F G# A C | | | 1746 | C Db D E F G Bb C | | | 1748 | C Db D E F G A C | | | 1764 | C Db D E F Gb A C | | | 1829 | C Db D Eb F# A B C | | | 1830 | C Db D Eb F# A Bb C | | | 1833 | C Db D Eb F# Ab B C | | | 1834 | C Db D Eb F# Ab Bb C | | | 1836 | C Db D Eb F# G# A C | | | 1842 | C Db D Eb F# G Bb C | | | 1844 | C Db D Eb F# G A C | | | 1865 | C Db D Eb F Ab B C | | | 1866 | C Db D Eb F Ab Bb C | | | 1868 | C Db D Eb F G# A C | | | 1874 | C Db D Eb F G Bb C | | | 1876 | C Db D Eb F G A C | | | 1892 | C Db D Eb F Gb A C | | | 1938 | C Db D Eb E G Bb C | | | 1940 | C Db D Eb E G A C | | | 1956 | C Db D Eb Fb Gb A C | | |--------------+-----------------------+-------------------|