The

Universal Encyclopedia
of

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Scales PA
An in-depth account of all 2048 Scales in Music
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EM
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mDecks Music
Table of Contents

Preface

What is a Scale?

Equivalence of scales

Scale Representation

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Transpositions

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Modes

Source Scales & Related Modes

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Summary of Circle of Fifths Transformations

Scales of Limited Transpositions (Symmetry)

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Bi-triadic Hexatonic Scales

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Cataloguing & Naming Scales

How scales are presented in this encyclopedia

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How to use the indexes and search for scales

Search & Find Tips

Finding All Scales In Music

Master Index

More Books & Apps by mDecks Music


Preface
“There are 2048 scales in music, no more, no less. 12 of them are intervals (scales
with only two notes), and 344 of the other 2036 scales are source scales”

A complete encyclopedia of scales has always been on every musician’s wish-list.

There are many reasons why having a collection containing all scales in music
fascinates us, but the most attractive one is that it is universal.

We all know that our twelve tone system (with only twelve different pitch-classes) must
produce an exact amount of scales. A list with all possible scales in music must then
be universal and unchanging. In fact, if well-organized, this list should offer much more
than just a simple description of each scale. This list could show relationships between

E
scales while cataloguing them based on different properties (symmetry, amount of
notes and/or modes, source scales vs. modes of source scales, intervallic formulas,
etc.)

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With a complete encyclopedia of scales we can finally have the answers to many
PA
questions, such as:

How many scales are there in music and what are they?
Which scales are the source scales and what are their related modes? (What are
the related modes of any scale?)
Which scales are symmetric?
How many scales are there with only one (or two, three, etc) mode(s), and which
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ones are they?

Which scales are pentatonic or bi-triadic hexatonic or truncated, etc.?
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What is the scale represented by a specific intervallic formula?

What is the interval content of any scale? How dissonant or consonant a scale is?
How many modes does any one scale produce?

The creation of this universal encyclopedia of scales was made possible by using the
concepts developed for the app Tessitura Pro by mDecks Music.

Tessitura Pro represents scales by graphing them over the circle of fifths. This graphing
technique creates very distinct polygons. Moving forward, we will refer to these
polygons as graphs. This technique allowed us to find all possible scales in music,
studied their properties and classified scales using different criteria.

BACK TO TABLE OF CONTENTS

Master Index of Scales
Select one of the options below

Index of Source Scales by Mode Count

Index of All Scales by Mode Count

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Index of Source Scales by Note Count
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Index of All Scales by Note Count
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Index of Symmetrical Source Scales

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Index of Bi-Triadic Hexatonic Source Scales

D

BACK TO TABLE OF CONTENTS

 https://mDecks.com

Index of Source Scales by Mode Count

Select one of the options below
Click here to go back to the Master Index

Source Scales with 1 Mode

Source Scales with 2 Modes

Source Scales with 3 Modes

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Source Scales with 4 Modes

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Source Scales with 5 Modes PA
Source Scales with 6 Modes

Source Scales with 7 Modes

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Source Scales with 8 Modes

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Source Scales with 9 Modes

Source Scales with 10 Modes

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Source Scales with 11 Modes

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Modes of 1111116 1111116-2

1
7 Notes • 7 Modes • 12 Transpositions 4 5
Source Scale: Ionian b7 2
Symmetrical: NO
Bi-Triadic Hexatonic: NO b3 6
P4:P5 M3:m6 m3:M6 M2:m7 m2:M7 TT:TT

Aggregated Dissonance(0 to 10): 3.4 b6 3

Click here to go back to Main Index b2 7
#4
Click on any scale name (mode) to view it

1111116-2 1111116-4 1111116-6 1111116-1

1 1 1 1
4 5 4 5 4 5 4 5
b7 2 b7 2 b7 2 b7 2

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b3 6 b3 6 b3 6 b3 6

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b6 3 b6 3 b6 3 b6 3
b2 7 b2 7 b2 7 b2 7
#4
Ionian
#4
Dorian
PA #4
Phrygian
#4
Lydian

1111116-3 1111116-5 1111116-7

1 1 1
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4 5 4 5 4 5
b7 2 b7 2 b7 2
EM

b3 6 b3 6 b3 6

b6 3 b6 3 b6 3
b2 7 b2 7 b2 7
#4 #4 b5
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Mixolydian Aeolian Locrian

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Ionian 1111116-2
• Ionian • Major • Mixolydian n7 • Lydian n4 • 1
View related modes
4 5
7 Notes • 7 Modes • 12 Transpositions b7 2
Intervallic Formula: W W H W W W H
Degrees Formula: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 b3 6
Source Scale: Self P4:P5 M3:m6 m3:M6 M2:m7 m2:M7 TT:TT

Not a Symmetrical Scale

Scale Dissonance(0 to 10): 2.4
b6 3
Aggregated Dissonance(0 to 10): 3.4
Not a Bi-Triadic Hexatonic b2 7
Click here to go back to Main Index #4

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Created using Tessitura Pro by mDecks Music
 https://mDecks.com

Dorian 1111116-4
• Dorian • Mixolydian b3 • Aeolian n13 • Melodic Minor b7 • 1
View related modes
4 5
7 Notes • 7 Modes • 12 Transpositions b7 2
Intervallic Formula: W H W W W H W
Degrees Formula: 1 2 b3 4 5 6 b7 b3 6
Source Scale: Ionian [2] P4:P5 M3:m6 m3:M6 M2:m7 m2:M7 TT:TT

Not a Symmetrical Scale

Scale Dissonance(0 to 10): 2.1
b6 3
Aggregated Dissonance(0 to 10): 3.4
Not a Bi-Triadic Hexatonic b2 7
Click here to go back to Main Index #4

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Created using Tessitura Pro by mDecks Music

 https://mDecks.com

Phrygian 1111116-6
• Phrygian • Aeolian b9 • Locrian n5 • 1
View related modes
4 5
7 Notes • 7 Modes • 12 Transpositions b7 2
Intervallic Formula: H W W W H W W
Degrees Formula: 1 b2 b3 4 5 b6 b7 b3 6
Source Scale: Ionian [3] P4:P5 M3:m6 m3:M6 M2:m7 m2:M7 TT:TT

Not a Symmetrical Scale

Scale Dissonance(0 to 10): 2.4
b6 3
Aggregated Dissonance(0 to 10): 3.4
Not a Bi-Triadic Hexatonic b2 7
Click here to go back to Main Index #4

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Created using Tessitura Pro by mDecks Music
 https://mDecks.com

Lydian 1111116-1
• Lydian • Ionian #4 • Lydian Diminished n3 • Pelog n13 • 1
View related modes
4 5
7 Notes • 7 Modes • 12 Transpositions b7 2
Intervallic Formula: W W W H W W H
Degrees Formula: 1 2 3 #4 5 6 7 b3 6
Source Scale: Ionian [4] P4:P5 M3:m6 m3:M6 M2:m7 m2:M7 TT:TT

Not a Symmetrical Scale

Scale Dissonance(0 to 10): 3.9
b6 3
Aggregated Dissonance(0 to 10): 3.4
Not a Bi-Triadic Hexatonic b2 7
Click here to go back to Main Index #4

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Created using Tessitura Pro by mDecks Music

 https://mDecks.com

Mixolydian 1111116-3
• Mixolydian • Adonai malakh • Ionian b7 • Dorian n3 • 1
View related modes
4 5
7 Notes • 7 Modes • 12 Transpositions b7 2
Intervallic Formula: W W H W W H W
Degrees Formula: 1 2 3 4 5 6 b7 b3 6
Source Scale: Ionian [5] P4:P5 M3:m6 m3:M6 M2:m7 m2:M7 TT:TT

Not a Symmetrical Scale

Scale Dissonance(0 to 10): 2.1
b6 3
Aggregated Dissonance(0 to 10): 3.4
Not a Bi-Triadic Hexatonic b2 7
Click here to go back to Main Index #4

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Created using Tessitura Pro by mDecks Music

 https://mDecks.com

Aeolian 1111116-5
• Aeolian • Natural minor • Dorian b13 • Phrygian n2 • 1
View related modes
4 5
7 Notes • 7 Modes • 12 Transpositions b7 2
Intervallic Formula: W H W W H W W
Degrees Formula: 1 2 b3 4 5 b6 b7 b3 6
Source Scale: Ionian [6] P4:P5 M3:m6 m3:M6 M2:m7 m2:M7 TT:TT

Not a Symmetrical Scale

Scale Dissonance(0 to 10): 2.1
b6 3
Aggregated Dissonance(0 to 10): 3.4
Not a Bi-Triadic Hexatonic b2 7
Click here to go back to Main Index #4

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Created using Tessitura Pro by mDecks Music

 https://mDecks.com

Locrian 1111116-7
• Locrian • Phrygian b5 • Locrian Dominant b3 • Ritsu addb5 • 1
View related modes
4 5
7 Notes • 7 Modes • 12 Transpositions b7 2
Intervallic Formula: H W W H W W W
Degrees Formula: 1 b2 b3 4 b5 b6 b7 b3 6
Source Scale: Ionian [7] P4:P5 M3:m6 m3:M6 M2:m7 m2:M7 TT:TT

Not a Symmetrical Scale

Scale Dissonance(0 to 10): 3.9
b6 3
Aggregated Dissonance(0 to 10): 3.4
Not a Bi-Triadic Hexatonic b2 7
Click here to go back to Main Index b5

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Created using Tessitura Pro by mDecks Music