SECTION 1
ALL 12 MAJOR SCALES
C MAJOR
C · D · E · F · G · A
· B
G MAJOR
G · A · B · C · D · E
· F#
D MAJOR
D · E · F# · G · A
· B · C#
A MAJOR
A · B · C# · D · E
· F# · G#
E MAJOR
E · F# · G# · A · B
· C# · D#
B MAJOR
B · C# · D# · E · F#
· G# · A#
F# / Gb MAJOR
F# · G# · A# · B · C#
· D# · F
Db MAJOR
Db · Eb · F · Gb · Ab
· Bb · C
Ab MAJOR
Ab · Bb · C · Db · Eb
· F · G
Eb MAJOR
Eb · F · G · Ab · Bb
· C · D
Bb MAJOR
Bb · C · D · Eb · F
· G · A
F MAJOR
F · G · A · Bb · C
· D · E
SECTION 2
ALL 12 NATURAL MINOR SCALES
A MINOR
A · B · C · D · E · F
· G
E MINOR
E · F# · G · A · B
· C · D
B MINOR
B · C# · D · E · F#
· G · A
F# MINOR
F# · G# · A · B · C#
· D · E
C# MINOR
C# · D# · E · F# · G#
· A · B
G# / Ab MINOR
G# · A# · B · C# · D#
· E · F#
Eb / D# MINOR
Eb · F · Gb · Ab · Bb
· B · Db
Bb MINOR
Bb · C · Db · Eb · F
· Gb · Ab
F MINOR
F · G · Ab · Bb · C
· Db · Eb
C MINOR
C · D · Eb · F · G
· Ab · Bb
G MINOR
G · A · Bb · C · D
· Eb · F
D MINOR
D · E · F · G · A
· Bb · C
SECTION 3
CHORD FORMULAS
| CHORD TYPE | FORMULA | EXAMPLE (C root) |
|---|---|---|
| Major | 1 – 3 – 5 | C – E – G |
| Minor | 1 – b3 – 5 | C – Eb – G |
| Diminished | 1 – b3 – b5 | C – Eb – Gb |
| Augmented | 1 – 3 – #5 | C – E – G# |
| Major 7 | 1 – 3 – 5 – 7 | C – E – G – B |
| Minor 7 | 1 – b3 – 5 – b7 | C – Eb – G – Bb |
| Dominant 7 | 1 – 3 – 5 – b7 | C – E – G – Bb |
| Suspended 2 (sus2) | 1 – 2 – 5 | C – D – G |
| Suspended 4 (sus4) | 1 – 4 – 5 | C – F – G |
SECTION 4
THE 7 MODES
Ionian
1ST DEGREE · MAJOR SCALE
Bright, happy, resolved. The standard major scale — the most familiar sound in Western
music. W–W–H–W–W–W–H. Used in pop, folk, classical, and virtually every genre.
Dorian
2ND DEGREE · MINOR + RAISED 6TH
Minor with a raised 6th — creating a brighter, groovier, more optimistic minor feel.
W–H–W–W–W–H–W. Widely used in jazz, funk, soul, blues, and electronic music. D Dorian
= D E F G A B C.
Phrygian
3RD DEGREE · MINOR + LOWERED 2ND
Dark, Spanish, and tense due to its flat 2nd. H–W–W–W–H–W–W. Common in flamenco,
metal, and dark electronic. Creates a strong sense of tension and exoticism.
Lydian
4TH DEGREE · MAJOR + RAISED 4TH
Dreamy, floating, and otherworldly due to the raised 4th (tritone above the root).
W–W–W–H–W–W–H. Favored in film scores, ambient, and jazz fusion for its ethereal,
unresolved quality.
Mixolydian
5TH DEGREE · MAJOR + LOWERED 7TH
Major feel with a bluesy, unresolved quality from the flat 7th. W–W–H–W–W–H–W. Hugely
common in blues, rock, funk, and country. G Mixolydian = G A B C D E F.
Aeolian
6TH DEGREE · NATURAL MINOR
The natural minor scale — melancholic, serious, and emotionally complex.
W–H–W–W–H–W–W. The most common minor scale in pop, rock, electronic, and classical
music.
Locrian
7TH DEGREE · DIMINISHED
The darkest and most dissonant mode, with a flat 2nd and flat 5th creating extreme
tension. H–W–W–H–W–W–W. Rarely used as a tonal center but appears in jazz and metal
for tense, unstable passages.
SECTION 5
CIRCLE OF FIFTHS
CLOCKWISE — EACH KEY IS A PERFECT FIFTH ABOVE THE PREVIOUS
C
G
D
A
E
B
F#/Gb
Db
Ab
Eb
Bb
F
Moving clockwise adds one sharp per key. Moving counter-clockwise adds one flat per key. Adjacent keys share 6 of 7 notes — making them harmonically close and ideal for modulation. The relative minor of each major key is found a minor third (3 semitones) below: C major → A minor.
SECTION 6
COMMON CHORD PROGRESSIONS
| PROGRESSION | EXAMPLE (C) | GENRE / USE |
|---|---|---|
| I – IV – V | C – F – G | Blues, rock, country, folk — the most common Western progression |
| I – V – vi – IV | C – G – Am – F | Pop — used in thousands of hit songs across all decades |
| ii – V – I | Dm7 – G7 – Cmaj7 | Jazz — the fundamental cadence of tonal jazz harmony |
| i – VII – VI – VII | Am – G – F – G | Minor pop, electronic, anthemic rock |
| I – vi – IV – V | C – Am – F – G | 50s doo-wop, pop ballads, classic rock |
| i – VI – III – VII | Am – F – C – G | Pop, dance, emotional electronic music |
| I – IV – vi – V | C – F – Am – G | Pop, R&B, contemporary songwriting |
Learn more about music theory in our structured lessons at Cloud Atelier Studio → — or try the interactive Chord Analyzer and Scale & Chord Finder to apply what you've learned.