Free online tool
Scale Finder: Notes, Formula and Chords of Any Scale
Scale finder: pick a tonic and scale type to see its notes, step pattern, staff and chords, or enter notes to find every scale that contains them.
| Degrees | |
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| Steps | |
| Semitones |
Chords built on each degree
| Degree | Triad | Numeral | Seventh chord | Numeral |
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The first note you type is treated as the likely tonic when two scales fit equally well.
About the Scale Finder
Scale Finder is a free tool that runs in your web browser. It shows the notes, step pattern, staff and chords of any scale, or finds every scale that contains the notes you enter. You pick a tonic and a scale type, such as major, minor, a mode, a pentatonic or blues, and the results update at once. There is no sign-up, and nothing you enter is uploaded.
Use it to check chords in G major, see the chords in the key of G, or work out which scales fit a set of notes such as C, E and G. Seven-note scales also list the triad and seventh chord on every degree, so the tool works as a quick reference for chords and scales. It suits anyone learning piano or writing a melody.
How to use the Scale Finder
- Choose a tonic and a scale type. Set Tonic and Scale type (major, minor, a mode, a pentatonic, blues and more). The notes, step pattern, staff and keyboard update at once. For chords in G major, set the tonic to G and the scale type to major.
- Press ▶ Ascending, ▶ Descending or ▶ Up and down to hear the scale. For seven-note scales, read Chords built on each degree. It lists the Triad and Seventh chord on every Degree, with the Numeral for each.
- To work backwards, switch to Which scales contain these notes? and type the notes you have in Notes you have (names, any order). Examples: C E G or F# A B C#.
- Read the ranked list. Exact matches come first, then the scales that add the fewest extra notes. Press Show scale on any row to open it, and press Show more to see further results.
Press Clear to empty the notes box before a new search. To see the full pattern for any result, switch back to Show a scale and choose that tonic and scale type.
Start with a tonic and scale type you know, then compare the step pattern with the notes. When searching by notes, add more distinct notes to shorten the list.
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Enter note names in any order.
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Press Clear before a new search so old notes don’t carry over.
What is the difference between a scale and a key?#
A scale is a set of notes arranged in order from a tonic. A key is the system built on that scale, with its tonic chord and the chords drawn from it. The major scale and the natural minor scale are the two scales that most keys are based on.
Why does D dorian have the same notes as C major?#
A mode is a major scale started on a different degree. D is the second note of C major, so D E F G A B C played from D is D dorian. The step pattern changes (W-H-W-W-W-H-W) because the starting point changed, not the notes.
How do I find the scale of a melody?#
Collect the different notes in the melody, switch to Which scales contain these notes? and type them in. The list shows every scale that contains all of them. The more different notes you enter, the shorter the list becomes. The exact match, or the key whose tonic is the melody’s home note, is usually the answer.
Which notes fit C, E and G?#
C E G is a C major triad. It fits inside the major scales of C, F and G and the minor scales of A, D and E, among many others. In the reverse search the list puts the keys first, starting with C major, because C is the first note typed.
Why are some notes written with double sharps?#
Seven-note scales use each letter name once. Some keys therefore need a double sharp or double flat. G# major, for example, has F## as its seventh note, because writing it as G would repeat a letter. Choose the enharmonic tonic, Ab major, for an easier spelling.
Why is melodic minor different going down?#
In traditional teaching, melodic minor raises the 6th and 7th degrees going up and uses the natural minor scale going down. This tool plays and writes that traditional form. Jazz musicians play the raised form in both directions.