Scale

A scale is an ordered set of pitches spanning an octave — the palette of notes a melody is allowed to use. Where an Interval measures the gap between two notes, a scale is a whole staircase of intervals, and the exact pattern of step sizes is what gives each scale its flavor.

Whole steps and half steps

The steps of a scale come in two sizes: a half step (one semitone, H) and a whole step (two semitones, W). The familiar major scale is built from the pattern

Starting on C and following that recipe lands exactly on the white keys: C–D–E–F–G–A–B–C. The two half-steps (E→F and B→C) are what make the major scale sound bright and "finished" when it returns home.

Change the pattern and you change the mood. The natural minor scale is W–H–W–W–H–W–W; its lowered third and sixth give it that wistful, shadowed quality. Different starting points within the major pattern produce the seven modes, each with its own color.

Light up a scale

Pick a scale with the buttons; the keyboard lights its notes in order, and the strip beneath shows the W/H step pattern. Notice how every major scale, wherever it starts, keeps the same shape — only shifted.

See also

• Interval
• Mode
• Key Signature