Periodic Table of Scales

by William A. Huston (WilliamAHuston@gmail.com)

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Number of sharps/flats	Special Notes	Scale (Ionian tonic is bold/ colored)							Enharmonic Scales
12 #'s	D Ut	C##	D##	E#	F##	G##	A##	B#	!
11 #'s	D Ut	C##	D##	E#	F##	G##	A#	B#	@
10 #'s	D U	C##	D#	E#	F##	G##	A#	B#	#
9 #'s	D U	C##	D#	E#	F##	G#	A#	B#	$
8 #'s	D U	C#	D#	E#	F##	G#	A#	B#	%
7 #'s	U	C#	D#	E#	F#	G#	A#	B#	^
6 #'s	U	C#	D#	E#	F#	G#	A#	B	&
5 #'s		C#	D#	E	F#	G#	A#	B	*
4 #'s		C#	D#	E	F#	G#	A	B	(
3 #'s		C#	D	E	F#	G#	A	B	)
2 #'s		C#	D	E	F#	G	A	B	-
1 #'s		C	D	E	F#	G	A	B	=
0		C	D	E	F	G	A	B	!
1 b's		C	D	E	F	G	A	Bb	@
2 b's		C	D	Eb	F	G	A	Bb	#
3 b's		C	D	Eb	F	G	Ab	Bb	$
4 b's		C	Db	Eb	F	G	Ab	Bb	%
5 b's		C	Db	Eb	F	Gb	Ab	Bb	^
6 b's	U	Cb	Db	Eb	F	Gb	Ab	Bb	&
7 b's	Ut	Cb	Db	Eb	Fb	Gb	Ab	Bb	*
8 b's	D Ut	Cb	Db	Eb	Fb	Gb	Ab	Bbb	(
9 b's	Dt Ut	Cb	Db	Ebb	Fb	Gb	Ab	Bbb	)
10 b's	Dt Ut	Cb	Db	Ebb	Fb	Gb	Abb	Bbb	-
11 b's	Dt Ut	Cb	Dbb	Ebb	Fb	Gb	Abb	Bbb	=
12 b's	Dt Ut	Cb	Dbb	Ebb	Fb	Gbb	Abb	Bbb	!

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Legend for Special Notes: (These scales are undesirable for one reason or another. They probably have a simpler equavalent scale. [note that the scales of F# or Gb Ionian {the scales with 6#'s and 6b's} are an exception!])

• D = contains a double sharp or double flat
• U = Ugly scale; contains a note which has a simpler name (like B for Cb).
• t = applies to tonic (Ionian)

Goto scales and modes (http://mu.clarityconnect.net/cgi-bin/scales)
View perl source code at http://mu.clarityconnect.net/~bhuston/cgi-bin/scales_table

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The "periodic table of scales" is a table of all principle scales modes (in the family Ionian, Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, Mixolydian, Aeolian, Locrian) in a 12-tone equal-tempered system. It is derived by assuming that each of the 12 tones may be the starting tone for a major (Ionian) scale. Other modes are derived by using a different starting note, or "tonic".

There are some inconsistancies, however. If one uses each of the 12 unique piano key as a starting point, and include each black key twice (e.g., counting both "C#" and "Db" as seperate names [both of which produce an equivalent or "enharmonic" scale mode]), one gets 17 "legitimate" scales, ranging from 10 sharps in the key signature, down to 6 flats. For completeness, I have extrapolated the table to range from 12 sharps to 12 flats. (Curiously, these two extremes are both equivalent to a C Major scale!)

However, every scale with more than 6 sharps or 6 flats results in needing the unsightly and confusing double-sharps and double-flats, as well as scales which include notes with odd names like "B#" for "C" or "Fb" for "E".