Popular Guitar Scales

This collection features the most commonly used guitar scales that will help you understand music better, build melodies, improvise, and create expressive solos. These scales form the foundation of most music styles — from blues and rock to jazz and classical.

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A Lydian

Major with #4 from note “A”. Airy floating top, cinematic pedals and open strings.

012345EGbAbABDbDEAbABDEGbABDbDEGbAbAEBGDAE
A Ionian (Major)

Bright and stable major scale from note “A”. Foundation of tonal music, easily fits classical progressions.

012345EGbGABDbDEGABDEGbGABDbDEGbGAEBGDAE
A Mixolydian

Dominant major from note “A”. Drive, bluesy flavor and natural pull to tonic.

012345EGbGABCDEGABCDEGbGABCDEGbGAEBGDAE
A Dorian

Minor with natural 6 from note “A”. Flexible, modern sound, keeps modal flavor and groove.

012345EFGABCDEGABCDEFGABCDEFGAEBGDAE
A Aeolian (Natural Minor)

Lyrical natural minor from note “A”. Expressive in ballads and cinematic drama, familiar minor turns.

012345EFGACDEGABbCDEFGABbCDEFGAEBGDAE
A Phrygian

Minor with b2 from note “A”. Dense tension and ethnic touch, fits riffs and flamenco colors.

012345FGACDEbGABbCDEbFGABbCDFGAEBGDAE
A Locrian

Rare center with diminished fifth from note “A”. Tense color, often used as passing effect.

012345EGbAbABCDEAbABCDEGbABCDEGbAbAEBGDAE

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A Melodic Minor

Minor with leading 7 from note “A”. Modern jazz flavor and rich modal derivatives.

012345FGACDbEbGABbCEbFGABbCDbFGAEBGDAE

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A Altered (Super Locrian)

V7alt from note “A”. Full of colors (#9/b9/#5/b5) with strong pull to resolution.

012345EGbGABDbEbEGABEbEGbGABDbEGbGAEBGDAE

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A Lydian Dominant

V7#11 from note “A”. Major base with spicy #4 and b7, fits extended dominants.

012345EFAbABCDEAbABCDEFABCDEFAbAEBGDAE

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A Harmonic Minor

Minor with major 7 from note “A”. Bright cadences and an eastern melodic flavor.

012345EFGADbDEGABbDEFGABbDbDEFGAEBGDAE

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A Phrygian Dominant

HM5 from note “A”. Minor dominant with b2 and major 3, flamenco character.

012345EGbGACDbEbEGABbCEbEGbGABbCDbEGbGAEBGDAE

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A Octatonic (Half–Whole)

Octatonic H-W from note “A”. Symmetry and resource for dominant tensions.

012345FGbAbABCDEbAbABCDEbFGbABCDFGbAbAEBGDAE

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A Octatonic (Whole–Half)

Octatonic W-H from note “A”. Diminished structures and altered dominants.

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A Whole-Tone

Six-tone whole-tone scale from note “A”. Smooth flow, augmented triads.