Key of C - All Scales - Theory Helper

Church Modes

C Major (Ionian) Happy

Bright, uplifting, resolved

PopClassicalCountry

Bright, uplifting, resolved

C Dorian Groovy

Minor but hopeful, jazzy

C Phrygian Dark

Spanish, tense, exotic

MetalFlamencoDark Techno

C Lydian Dreamy

Floating, ethereal, magical

FilmAmbientProgressive

C Mixolydian Groovy

Bluesy major, rock feel

C Aeolian (Natural Minor) Sad

Melancholic, emotional

C Natural Minor Sad

Melancholic, emotional

C Locrian Unstable

Dissonant, unresolved, dark

MetalExperimental

Minor Variants

C Harmonic Minor Dramatic

Classical tension, exotic

ClassicalMetalTrance

C Melodic Minor Sophisticated

Jazz minor, smooth

C Phrygian Dominant Exotic

Middle Eastern, intense

MetalWorldPsytrance

C Harmonic Major Bittersweet

Major with tension, classical

ClassicalJazzFilm

Pentatonic & Blues

C Major Pentatonic Uplifting

Simple, folk, universal

PopCountryWorld

C Minor Pentatonic Bluesy

Rock, blues foundation

RockBluesHip-Hop

C Blues Scale Soulful

Gritty, expressive

Bebop Scales

C Bebop Dominant Swinging

Jazz, chromatic passing tone

JazzBebopFusion

C Bebop Major Swinging

Jazz, smooth chromatic

Symmetric Scales

C Whole Tone Dreamy

Floating, impressionist

JazzFilmAmbient

C Diminished (Whole-Half) Tense

Symmetrical, suspenseful

C Diminished (Half-Whole) Tense

Dominant diminished, jazz

C Augmented Unstable

Symmetrical, otherworldly

JazzExperimental

C Chromatic Neutral

All 12 tones, atonal

ClassicalJazzExperimental

Jazz & Altered

C Altered (Super Locrian) Tense

Dominant altered, dissonant

C Lydian Dominant (Acoustic) Bright

Overtone series, natural

C Lydian Augmented Ethereal

Bright and unstable

JazzProgressive

C Lydian Diminished Mysterious

Minor with raised 4th

C Locrian ♮6 Dark

Half-diminished sound

C Major Locrian Unstable

Major with flat 5

JazzExperimental

C Half Diminished (Locrian ♮2) Melancholic

Minor 7 flat 5 sound

Hungarian & Gypsy

C Hungarian Minor Dramatic

Gypsy, theatrical

ClassicalMetalWorld

C Hungarian Major Exotic

Bright gypsy sound

C Gypsy Scale Passionate

Eastern European folk

C Ukrainian Dorian Melancholic

Eastern European minor

Middle Eastern

C Double Harmonic (Byzantine) Mysterious

Middle Eastern, ornate

WorldAmbientPsytrance

C Arabic Mysterious

Middle Eastern, ornate

WorldAmbientPsytrance

C Persian Exotic

Ancient Persian sound

WorldAmbientMetal

Neapolitan

C Neapolitan Major Dramatic

Classical, romantic

C Neapolitan Minor Dark

Classical tension

ClassicalMetalFilm

Japanese

C Hirajoshi Melancholic

Japanese, haunting

AmbientWorldExperimental

C In Sen Contemplative

Zen, minimalist

AmbientWorldLo-Fi

Dissonant Japanese

AmbientExperimental

C Yo Scale Bright

Japanese folk, pentatonic

Exotic Scales

C Enigmatic Mysterious

Unusual, ambiguous

FilmExperimental

C Prometheus Mystical

Scriabin, whole tone variant

ClassicalAmbient

C Tritone Tense

Symmetrical, unstable

JazzExperimental

C Two-Semitone Tritone Dissonant

Cluster-based, modern

ExperimentalAvant-garde

Diminished, folk

WorldExperimental

C Scale of Harmonics Natural

Overtone series based

AmbientExperimental

C Pelog Ethereal

Indonesian gamelan