C scales

Guitar scales with C as the root note.
Choose from the categories below for fingerboard diagrams and supplementary information.

C Major C Minor C Melodic Minor C Harmonic Minor C Major Pentatonic C Minor Pentatonic C Blues C Rock 'n' roll C Ionian C Dorian C Phrygian C Lydian C Mixolydian C Aeolian C Locrian C Dorian Bebop C Mixolydian Bebop C Whole Tone C Half Whole Diminished C Whole Half Diminished C Spanish Major C Persian C Gypsy Major C Gypsy Minor

Scale charts in pdf (The Guitar Scale Collection eBook) ›

Explanations

Major - One of the most common scales, containing seven notes. The C Major scale are connected to the key of C, they contain the same notes.
Minor - One of the most common scales, containing seven notes. The C Minor scale are connected to the key of C Minor, they contain the same notes. C Minor is sometimes written as Cm in shortened form. Sometimes written as Natural Minor to distinguish it from other Minor scale categories.
Melodic Minor - A Minor scale that differs from the Natural Minor by containing one instead of three flattened notes.
Harmonic Minor - A Minor scale that differs from the Natural Minor by containing two instead of three flattened notes.
Pentatonic Major - One of the two most common five-notes scales. Based on the regular Major scale, but with two omitted notes (the 4th and the 7th).
Pentatonic Minor - One of the two most common five-notes scales. Based on the natural Minor scale, but with two omitted notes (the 2nd and the 6th).
Blues - The par excellence scale choice for blues. Also referred to as the Pentatonic Minor Blues scale.
"Rock 'n' roll" - Pentatonic Major and Blues hybrid scale.
Ionian - The first mode of the Major scale.
Dorian - The second mode of the Major scale.
Phrygian - The third mode of the Major scale.
Lydian - The fourth mode of the Major scale.
Mixolydian - The fifth mode of the Major scale, also known as the Dominant scale.
Aeolian - The sixth mode of the Major scale, also referred to as the Minor scale.
Locrian - The seventh mode of the Major scale.
Dorian Bebop - Contains the notes as the Dorian mode plus a passing note.
Mixolydian Bebop - Contains the notes as the Mixolydian mode plus a passing note.
Whole Tone - An six-note symmetric scale, also known as the Augmented scale.
Half Whole Diminished - An eight-note symmetric scale, also known as the Dominant Diminished scale.
Whole Half Diminished - An eight-note symmetric scale, also known as the Fully Diminished scale.
Spanish - An eight-note scale, also known as the Spanish 8 Tones scale.
Gypsy Major - A seven-note scale, also known as the Spanish Gypsy scale and the Byzantine scale.
Gypsy Minor - A seven-note scale, also known as the Byzantine Minor scale.

Comparisons

C Major scale degrees and notes.

1	2	3	4	5	6	7
C	D	E	F	G	A	B

C Minor Natural scale degrees and notes.

1	2	b3	4	5	b6	b7
C	D	Eb	F	G	Ab	Bb

C Melodic Minor scale degrees and notes.

1	2	b3	4	5	6	7
C	D	Eb	F	G	A	B

C Harmonic Minor scale degrees and notes.