Guitar scales

20 scales × 12 root notes = 240 fretboard diagrams.

Pentatonic

Major Pentatonic

Five-note major scale. Great for country, folk, and rock.

C C#D D#E F F#G G#A A#B

Minor Pentatonic

The most-used scale in rock, blues, and pop guitar.

C C#D D#E F F#G G#A A#B

Blues

Blues Scale

Minor pentatonic with a ♭5 "blue note". Essential for blues.

C C#D D#E F F#G G#A A#B

Diatonic

Major

The most common scale in Western music. Bright, happy sound.

C C#D D#E F F#G G#A A#B

Natural Minor

The natural minor scale. Dark, melancholic sound.

C C#D D#E F F#G G#A A#B

Harmonic Minor

Natural minor with a raised 7th. Used in classical and metal.

C C#D D#E F F#G G#A A#B

Melodic Minor

Harmonic minor with raised 6th and 7th. Jazz staple.

C C#D D#E F F#G G#A A#B

Harmonic Major

Major scale with a ♭6. Warm, slightly exotic.

C C#D D#E F F#G G#A A#B

Modes

Dorian

Minor mode with a raised 6th. Widely used in jazz and rock.

C C#D D#E F F#G G#A A#B

Phrygian

Minor mode with a ♭2. Dark, Spanish/flamenco character.

C C#D D#E F F#G G#A A#B

Lydian

Major mode with a #4. Bright, dreamy, otherworldly.

C C#D D#E F F#G G#A A#B

Mixolydian

Major mode with a ♭7. Essential for blues-rock and funk.

C C#D D#E F F#G G#A A#B

Locrian

The darkest mode. ♭2 and ♭5. Used in metal and jazz.

C C#D D#E F F#G G#A A#B

Lydian Dominant

Lydian with a ♭7. Over dominant 7#11 chords.

C C#D D#E F F#G G#A A#B

Phrygian Dominant

Phrygian with a major 3rd. Flamenco and Middle Eastern flavor.

C C#D D#E F F#G G#A A#B

Altered

Super Locrian. Used over altered dominant chords in jazz.

C C#D D#E F F#G G#A A#B

Exotic & Symmetric

Whole Tone

All whole steps. Floating, ambiguous sound. Debussy-style.

C C#D D#E F F#G G#A A#B

Diminished (whole-half)

Alternating whole and half steps. Used over diminished chords.

C C#D D#E F F#G G#A A#B

Dominant Diminished

Half-whole diminished. Used over dominant 7♭9 chords.

C C#D D#E F F#G G#A A#B

Augmented

Symmetric scale built from two augmented triads.

C C#D D#E F F#G G#A A#B