Scale Finder

Match scales from notes you choose, or browse any tonic and scale formula on the piano.

Prefer Sharps. Conventional scale spellings stay musically correct.

Choose the notes you have

Press two to eight different piano keys.

Selected pitches

C · D · E · G · A

Possible scale names

The same notes can have multiple tonics or modes. This pitch set alone does not detect a song’s key.

C Major Pentatonic

CDEGA

Degrees
1 2 3 5 6
Steps · semitones
2 2 3 2 3
Notes
5
Tonic is yellow; the sounding note has an outline

Also fits inside larger scales

  • A BluesAdd D♯ to complete
  • C Major BluesAdd D♯ to complete
  • C MajorAdd F, B to complete
  • F MajorAdd F, A♯ to complete

Showing 4 of 24 compatible scales.

How to find a scale from notes

  1. 1. Choose each different pitch. Octave doubles count as one pitch class, so press a note only once.
  2. 2. Add a tonic only when you know it. Musical context may reveal the tonal center; otherwise, Any tonic preserves every valid name.
  3. 3. Compare the result types. Exact matches use precisely your notes. Compatible scales contain them and name the pitches needed to complete the scale.

A scale match is not automatic key detection

A pitch set describes available notes. A key also depends on which note feels central, how notes are emphasized over time, the harmony, and whether the music modulates. This finder uses notes you enter manually in 12-tone equal temperament; it does not listen to audio or claim certainty about a song’s key.

Why modes can share one pitch set

The white piano notes can be C Major, D Dorian, E Phrygian, F Lydian, G Mixolydian, A Natural Minor, or B Locrian. Each mode has the same notes but a different tonic and interval pattern around that tonic. That is why Find by notes keeps multiple exact names visible.

How to read scale formulas

Degrees name each note relative to the tonic: 1 is the tonic, ♭3 is a lowered third, and ♯4 is a raised fourth. Steps show the semitone distance from one scale note to the next, including the final step back to the octave. Together they describe the scale independently of its starting note.

Supported musical scales

Browse all seven major-scale modes, major and minor pentatonic scales, blues and major blues, harmonic minor, melodic minor, whole tone, diminished whole–half, and diminished half–whole across all 12 tonics. Chromatic is omitted from reverse matching because it would contain every possible input.

FAQ

Does a scale match tell me the key of a song?
No. Unordered notes cannot prove a tonal center, rhythm, emphasis, harmony, or modulation. This tool matches manually entered pitch classes; it does not analyze audio or detect a song’s key.
Why can the tonic be ambiguous?
The same pitch set can be heard around different tonal centers. Leave tonic on Any tonic to keep every supported interpretation, or choose a selected note when musical context tells you the center.
What is the difference between exact and compatible results?
An exact result has precisely the notes you selected. A compatible scale contains every selected note but adds more pitches, which the result lists explicitly.
Why do modes share the same notes?
Relative modes can use one pitch collection while treating different notes as the tonic. C Major, D Dorian, and A Natural Minor all use the white piano notes but organize them around different centers.
Which scale families are supported?
The finder includes the seven major-scale modes, major and minor pentatonic, blues and major blues, harmonic and melodic minor, whole tone, and both diminished octatonic patterns.
What does Sharps or Flats change?
It changes theoretical note spelling, not the underlying pitches. For example, F Major uses B-flat, while F-sharp Major uses E-sharp.
Is the Scale Finder free and private?
Yes. It is free, requires no account, and matches and plays your selected notes locally in the browser without uploading them.

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