Jazz Piano Scales

Jazz players think in scales that sit over chords rather than in keys. The melodic minor supplies most of the altered sounds, dorian handles the minor 7th chords, and the blues scale is the common ground everybody falls back on. Learn these in all twelve keys: the point is being able to start anywhere.

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

Melodic Minor Scales

A smooth minor scale used extensively in jazz improvisation.

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

Blues Scales

Adds the iconic "blue note" to the minor pentatonic. Essential for blues and jazz.

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

Dorian Scales

A cool minor mode popular in jazz, funk, and Latin music.

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