Film Score Piano Scales

Screen music needs colour on demand: dread, longing, menace, wonder. The minor scales supply most of it, the harmonic minor supplies the outright dramatic gestures, and chromatic movement supplies tension that belongs to no key at all.

36 scales carry this tag, across 3 scale types: natural minor, harmonic minor, chromatic. Each one has its notes spelled for that key, a fingering worked out for that key, and a piano you can play it on.

Natural Minor Scales

The basis of minor keys. Dark, emotional, and introspective.

C
C – D – Eb – F – G – Ab – Bb
C#
C# – D# – E – F# – G# – A – B
D
D – E – F – G – A – Bb – C
Eb
Eb – F – Gb – Ab – Bb – Cb – Db
E
E – F# – G – A – B – C – D
F
F – G – Ab – Bb – C – Db – Eb
F#
F# – G# – A – B – C# – D – E
G
G – A – Bb – C – D – Eb – F
G#
G# – A# – B – C# – D# – E – F#
A
A – B – C – D – E – F – G
Bb
Bb – C – Db – Eb – F – Gb – Ab
B
B – C# – D – E – F# – G – A

Harmonic Minor Scales

A dramatic minor scale with a raised 7th — common in classical and Middle Eastern music.

C
C – D – Eb – F – G – Ab – B
C#
C# – D# – E – F# – G# – A – B#
D
D – E – F – G – A – Bb – C#
Eb
Eb – F – Gb – Ab – Bb – Cb – D
E
E – F# – G – A – B – C – D#
F
F – G – Ab – Bb – C – Db – E
F#
F# – G# – A – B – C# – D – E#
G
G – A – Bb – C – D – Eb – F#
G#
G# – A# – B – C# – D# – E – F##
A
A – B – C – D – E – F – G#
Bb
Bb – C – Db – Eb – F – Gb – A
B
B – C# – D – E – F# – G – A#

Chromatic Scales

Every semitone from root to octave. A fundamental dexterity exercise.

C
C – C# – D – D# – E – F – F# – G – G# – A – A# – B
Db
Db – D – Eb – E – F – Gb – G – Ab – A – Bb – B – C
D
D – D# – E – F – F# – G – G# – A – A# – B – C – C#
Eb
Eb – E – F – Gb – G – Ab – A – Bb – B – C – Db – D
E
E – F – F# – G – G# – A – A# – B – C – C# – D – D#
F
F – Gb – G – Ab – A – Bb – B – C – Db – D – Eb – E
F#
F# – G – G# – A – A# – B – C – C# – D – D# – E – F
G
G – G# – A – A# – B – C – C# – D – D# – E – F – F#
Ab
Ab – A – Bb – B – C – Db – D – Eb – E – F – Gb – G
A
A – A# – B – C – C# – D – D# – E – F – F# – G – G#
Bb
Bb – B – C – Db – D – Eb – E – F – Gb – G – Ab – A
B
B – C – C# – D – D# – E – F – F# – G – G# – A – A#

Other tags

The same 120 scales, sorted a different way.

StyleClassical60Romantic24Jazz36Blues36Rock48Folk48Pop36Funk & Soul24Film Score36Middle Eastern12Modal24
MoodBright36Dark12Dramatic24
UseImprovisation60Technique12
LevelBeginner42Intermediate57Advanced21

Back to the full scale library for all 120 scales grouped by type.