Piano Scales, Intervals and Modes

You Need to Know This First

Most people familiar with music in general know about the idea of piano chords (learn more).

If you’re totally new to piano (or music) and don’t know what chords are, read our beginner’s guide to playing piano, first.

Scales are building blocks of music that chords and melodies are based on. And they’re formed using half steps and whole steps.

Here’s a quick primer:

A half step is a move on the keyboard from one note, to the note directly next to it – for example, C to C#. A whole step is a move that skips a note between it and the next note – for example C to D.

Got it? That’s gonna be important to know.

What Is a Piano Interval, Scale and Mode?

A piano interval is the amount of space between two different notes.

For example, if we start on the C note and move directly to the Eb note, that move’s “interval” is known as a “minor third.” The thing you’ll notice about piano intervals is that it doesn’t matter what note you start on, the same intervals sound very similar. A minor third starting on C, will sound similar as a minor third starting on F, or any other key.

A piano scale is a pattern of notes that are played with each other to write music that sounds pleasing to our ears and evokes a specific type of emotion. You start on a note, and using a combination of half steps and whole steps, move up/down to various notes. Examples of scales are the minor, the major, the pentatonic and more. Like intervals, they sound similar regardless of what note you start on.

A piano mode is a variation on a piano scale. You start with a specific scale and alter one or more of the whole-step/half-steps in it to alter the emotion evoked by the notes being played with each other.

Now that the basics are out of the way let’s get into the specifics you should know.

Piano Intervals List

Here are the major piano intervals you should be familiar with.

• Unison – 0 half steps (ex/ start on C, stay on same C)
• Minor 2nd – 1 half step (C to C#/Db)
• Major 2nd – 2 half steps (C to D)
• Minor 3rd – 3 half steps (C to D#/Eb)
• Major 3rd – 4 half steps (C to E)
• Perfect 4th – 5 half steps (C to F)
• Tritone – 6 half steps (C to F#/Gb)
• Perfect 5th – 7 half steps (C to G)
• Minor 6th – 8 half steps (C to G#/Ab)
• Major 6th – 9 half steps (C to A)
• Minor 7th – 10 half steps (C to A#/Bb)
• Major 7th – 11 half steps (C to B)
• Octave – 12 half steps (C to higher C)

It’s always a good idea to memorize these moves and how they sound. It’ll help you a lot when writing melodies.

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Popular Piano Scales List

Here are the “patterns” you can use to find various scales using any key on the keyboard. Choose a starting note and follow the patterns below – H = half step, W = whole step, W+H = whole step and half step together. Keep in mind these aren’t rhythm patterns (learn more), but intervalic patterns. They guide you on what note to play.

• Major Scale: W – W – H – W – W – W – H
• Minor: W – H – W – W – H – W – W
• Minor Melodic: W – H – W – W – W – W – H
• Minor Harmonic: W – H – W – W – H – W+H
• Minor Pentatonic: W+H – W – W – W+H – W
• Major Pentatonic: W – W – W+H – W – W+H
• Minor Blues: W+H – W – H – H – W+H
• Major Blues: W – H – H – W+H – W

There are a ton more out there, but this list should get you started on the right path. When you’re comfortable with these look into things like the Arabic, Indian and Japanese, for example.

Pay attention to these – they can give you a variety of different vibes. There are also limitless combinations for you just using the scales above. Some scale types work better for certain genres, but break any “rules” you might hear once you’re comfortable with what those rules actually are.

Piano Scale Fingering

It’s important you use the correct fingers for each note when you’re playing a scale on the piano. The recommended “fingering” for each scale below is the most efficient/easiest way to move your fingers across a scale quickly. 

Piano Modes List

Modes are basically variations on the major and minor scales above.

• Ionian Mode: W – W – H – W – W – W – H (the same as the MAJOR scale)
• Lydian: W – W – W – H – W – W – H
• Mixolydian: W – W – H – W – W – H – W
• Dorian: W – H – W – W – W – H – W
• Aeolian: W – H – W – W – H – W – W (the same as the MINOR scale)
• Phrygian: H – W – W – W – H – W – W
• Locrian: H – W – W – H – W – W – W

Using piano modes can be a good way of getting out of a creative block. They’re subtly different, but it can definitely impact your song/piece. They give you a more complex emotional flow when making your music. The patterns work the same way as the scales.

So, what are these used for? The simple answer is these are some of the building blocks of full songs. Every song you know is in a particular “key” or scale (or two). The majority of the notes you’ll find in that song are in that particular scale. And because of that, the song will have a certain emotion.

Music is emotion – it gives you a certain feeling. And that feeling/emotion/vibe is usually a result of the intervals, scales/modes and piano chords you choose.

If you pick a major scale to write music in, it’ll probably sound kind of “happy.” If you’re writing a melody and the next note you sing/play is only a minor 2nd up or down, it’ll sound extremely tense.

Frequently Asked Questions

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