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Scale & Chord Explorer

Pick a starting note and a scale or chord. See its notes on a keyboard, spelled the way they are written, with the degree and interval of each note.

Root (the starting note)

C major

root, scale notes. Tap a key to make it the root.

    How to read it

    • Degree is the note's place counted from the root: 1 is the root, ♭3 is a minor third above it, ♯4 a raised fourth.
    • W is a whole step (two keys apart), H a half step (the very next key), W+H a step and a half.
    • Notes are spelled one letter per degree, the way they are written in music, so a scale may use E♯ or C♭, or a double flat (𝄫) in some melakartas.
    • Turn on Indian terms in the footer to see the swaras, counted from the root as Sa. Thaats and Western scales use Hindustani names; melakartas use Carnatic names. Each is labelled.

    Keyboard shortcuts

    • ← →root down or up a half step
    • ↑ ↓previous or next scale or chord type
    • Sswitch between scales and chords
    • Espell the root the other way (C♯ or D♭)
    • Inext inversion (chords)

    Shortcuts pause while you type in a field or use a menu. On the keyboard picture, the arrow keys move between keys and Enter makes the key the root.

    Letter, number and punctuation shortcuts can be turned off: use the Keyboard shortcuts switch in the footer, under Display. Space, Enter, the arrow keys and Esc keep working.