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Scale Finder

Pick a root note and a scale type — major, natural minor, harmonic minor or melodic minor — to see every note in the scale. Major and natural minor also show the diatonic chords and the relative key.

Root note

Scale type

C Major

Notes in this scale

CDEFGAB

Diatonic chords

iii

vii°

Bdim

Relative key

A Minor

Camelot code

Notes are spelled with the correct sharps or flats for the selected key. Harmonic and melodic minor alter the 6th/7th degrees, so their diatonic chords, relative key and Camelot code aren't shown — pick major or natural minor for those.

Who uses a scale finder

Songwriters stuck on chord four

You have a progression that works and no idea what comes next. The diatonic triads are every chord that will sit in the key without a wrong note, so you can pick by ear from a shortlist instead of guessing across all twelve.

Guitar and piano learners

Scales are the practice unit for both instruments, and writing them out by hand is where most people stall. Pick the root, read the seven notes, and you have your exercise for the day plus the chords that go with it.

Producers writing basslines

A bassline that leaves the scale is the usual reason a loop sounds subtly wrong. Having the seven notes in front of you while you draw MIDI keeps the line inside the key without needing to hear the mistake first.

DJs learning harmonic mixing

The relative key and Camelot code shown here are the whole basis of harmonic mixing. Seeing that C Major and A Minor share notes and share the number 8 explains why the wheel works, rather than just telling you to follow it.

How to use the scale finder

1. Pick the root note
The root (or tonic) is the note the scale is named after and the note that feels like home. If you already know a song's key, use that note.
2. Choose the scale type
Major sounds bright, natural minor sounds darker. Harmonic minor raises the 7th for a stronger pull back to the root; melodic minor raises the 6th and 7th on the way up.
3. Use the notes and chords
You get the seven scale notes plus the diatonic triads with roman numerals — enough to write a progression that stays in key.

Scale finder FAQ

What is a musical scale?

A scale is an ordered set of notes that a piece of music draws from. It starts on a root note and follows a fixed pattern of whole and half steps. That pattern is what makes a major scale sound bright and a minor scale sound darker, no matter which note you start on.

What notes are in a major scale?

A major scale follows the step pattern whole-whole-half-whole-whole-whole-half from its root. Starting on C that gives C D E F G A B — the only major scale with no sharps or flats. Every other major scale uses the same pattern transposed, which is why they need accidentals.

What is the difference between natural, harmonic and melodic minor?

Natural minor is the plain minor scale — the same notes as its relative major, started from the 6th degree. Harmonic minor raises the 7th note by a semitone, creating a stronger leading tone back to the root and the characteristic step between the 6th and 7th. Melodic minor raises both the 6th and 7th ascending, which smooths out that large step.

What is a relative key?

The relative major and relative minor share exactly the same notes but a different root. C Major and A Minor are relatives: same seven notes, different tonal centre. Because the notes match, they also share a Camelot number, so DJs can mix between them freely.

What are diatonic chords?

They're the chords you can build using only notes from the scale, stacking every other note. In a major key the pattern is always major, minor, minor, major, major, minor, diminished — shown here as I ii iii IV V vi vii°. Progressions built from these stay in key by construction.

How do I find which scale a song uses?

Detect the key first, then read off the scale. Use the Key Finder to analyse an audio file and get the key, then come back here, enter that root note and see the full scale and chord set.