All bass scales:
formulas, notes and positions

Here are 56 scales for bass, sorted by family: major and minor scales, pentatonics, modes, blues, bebop, symmetric scales and world scales. Each one has its own page, with its formula, its notes and one position on the neck.

Each page gives the scale’s formula, its notes in A, one position on the neck as a diagram and as tab, the chords to play it over, the styles where you hear it and its neighbouring scales. To understand where the modes come from first, start with the 7 modes explained simply.

Major scales

• The major scale 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
• The bebop major scale 1 2 3 4 5 ♭6 6 7

Minor scales

• The natural minor scale 1 2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7
• The harmonic minor scale 1 2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 7
• The melodic minor scale 1 2 ♭3 4 5 6 7
• The Neapolitan minor scale 1 ♭2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 7
• The Hungarian minor scale 1 2 ♭3 ♯4 5 ♭6 7

Pentatonic scales

• The minor pentatonic scale 1 ♭3 4 5 ♭7
• The major pentatonic scale 1 2 3 5 6
• The dominant pentatonic scale 1 2 3 5 ♭7
• The minor 6 pentatonic scale 1 ♭3 4 5 6
• The Kumoi scale 1 2 ♭3 5 6
• The Hirajoshi scale 1 2 ♭3 5 ♭6
• The In Sen scale 1 ♭2 4 5 ♭7
• The Iwato scale 1 ♭2 4 ♭5 ♭7
• The Yo scale 1 2 4 5 6
• The Egyptian pentatonic scale 1 2 4 5 ♭7
• The Man Gong scale 1 ♭3 4 ♭6 ♭7

Modes of the major scale

• The Dorian mode 1 2 ♭3 4 5 6 ♭7
• The Phrygian mode 1 ♭2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7
• The Lydian mode 1 2 3 ♯4 5 6 7
• The Mixolydian mode 1 2 3 4 5 6 ♭7
• The Locrian mode 1 ♭2 ♭3 4 ♭5 ♭6 ♭7

Modes of harmonic minor

• The Locrian ♮6 mode 1 ♭2 ♭3 4 ♭5 6 ♭7
• The Ionian augmented mode 1 2 3 4 ♯5 6 7
• The Dorian ♯4 mode 1 2 ♭3 ♯4 5 6 ♭7
• The Phrygian dominant scale 1 ♭2 3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7
• The Lydian ♯2 mode 1 ♯2 3 ♯4 5 6 7
• The Ultralocrian mode 1 ♭2 ♭3 ♭4 ♭5 ♭6 𝄫7

Modes of melodic minor

• The Dorian ♭2 mode 1 ♭2 ♭3 4 5 6 ♭7
• The Lydian augmented mode 1 2 3 ♯4 ♯5 6 7
• The Lydian dominant scale 1 2 3 ♯4 5 6 ♭7
• The Mixolydian ♭6 mode 1 2 3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7
• The Locrian ♮2 mode 1 2 ♭3 4 ♭5 ♭6 ♭7
• The altered scale 1 ♭2 ♭3 ♭4 ♭5 ♭6 ♭7

Blues scales

• The blues scale 1 ♭3 4 ♭5 5 ♭7
• The major blues scale 1 2 ♭3 3 5 6
• The composite blues scale 1 2 ♭3 3 4 ♭5 5 6 ♭7

Bebop scales

• The bebop dominant scale 1 2 3 4 5 6 ♭7 7
• The bebop minor scale 1 2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 6 ♭7
• The bebop Dorian scale 1 2 ♭3 3 4 5 6 ♭7
• The bebop half-diminished scale 1 ♭2 2 ♭3 4 ♭5 ♭6 ♭7

Symmetric scales

• The whole tone scale 1 2 3 ♯4 ♯5 ♭7
• The half-whole diminished scale ½ 1 ½ 1 ½ 1 ½ 1
• The whole-half diminished scale 1 ½ 1 ½ 1 ½ 1 ½
• The augmented scale 1½ ½ 1½ ½ 1½ ½
• The tritone scale ½ ½ 2 ½ ½ 2

Exotic scales

• The Hungarian major scale 1 ♯2 3 ♯4 5 6 ♭7
• The Neapolitan major scale 1 ♭2 ♭3 4 5 6 7
• The double harmonic scale 1 ♭2 3 4 5 ♭6 7
• The enigmatic scale 1 ♭2 3 ♯4 ♯5 ♯6 7
• The Prometheus scale 1 2 3 ♯4 6 ♭7
• The leading whole tone scale 1 2 3 ♯4 ♯5 ♭7 7

World scales

• The Persian scale 1 ♭2 3 4 ♭5 ♭6 7
• The Balinese (Pelog) scale 1 ♭2 ♭3 5 ♭6

Other

• The chromatic scale tous les demi-tons

All these scales in UnitBasse

These pages show each scale in a single position and a single key. In UnitBasse, the app’s 69 scales are shown across the whole neck, in all twelve keys, as note names, intervals or degrees, with one color per degree. You can listen to them, see their chords and play them over a chord chart with BackTrack.

Frequently asked questions