Scale Degree Calculator
Finds the MIDI note number for any scale degree within a major or natural minor scale, given a root note. Use it when building chords, composing melodies, or programming music software.
About this calculator
A musical scale is a sequence of notes defined by a specific pattern of whole and half steps (tones and semitones) above a root note. In MIDI, each semitone is one integer step, so scales can be expressed as offset arrays. For a major scale, the semitone offsets for degrees 1–8 are [0, 2, 4, 5, 7, 9, 11, 12]; for a natural minor scale they are [0, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 10, 12], reflecting the flattened 3rd, 6th, and 7th degrees. The formula is: MIDI note = rootNote + offset[degree − 1], where the offset is looked up from the appropriate scale array. For example, the major scale follows the W-W-H-W-W-W-H pattern (whole and half steps), giving the characteristic bright, resolved sound. This approach extends beyond one octave by continuing the offset pattern, allowing scale degrees up to the 15th (two octaves). Knowing MIDI note numbers lets you directly program synthesizers, DAWs, and notation software.
How to use
Find the 5th degree of a C major scale. C4 in MIDI is note 60, so rootNote = 60, degree = 5, scaleType = major. The major scale offset array is [0, 2, 4, 5, 7, 9, 11, 12, ...], and the 5th element (index 4) is 7. Calculation: MIDI note = 60 + 7 = 67. MIDI note 67 is G4, which is the dominant of C major — exactly as expected from music theory. If you switch scaleType to minor with the same root and degree, the offset at index 4 is still 7, so the 5th degree of C minor is also G4.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a major and natural minor scale in terms of semitone intervals?
A major scale uses the interval pattern: whole, whole, half, whole, whole, whole, half (W-W-H-W-W-W-H), giving semitone offsets of 0-2-4-5-7-9-11 from the root. A natural minor scale uses W-H-W-W-H-W-W, resulting in offsets of 0-2-3-5-7-8-10. The key differences are the flattened (lowered by one semitone) 3rd, 6th, and 7th degrees in the minor scale. These alterations give the minor scale its characteristically darker, more melancholic quality compared to the brighter, resolved sound of the major scale.
How do MIDI note numbers correspond to musical pitches?
MIDI note numbers run from 0 to 127, with middle C (C4) assigned to note 60. Each increment of 1 equals one semitone, and 12 semitones equal one octave. So C5 is MIDI 72, C3 is MIDI 48, A4 (concert pitch, 440 Hz) is MIDI 69, and so on. This integer representation makes it easy to perform arithmetic on pitches — transposing up an octave is simply adding 12, and finding any interval is a matter of adding the correct semitone offset. MIDI note numbers are the standard pitch representation in DAWs, synthesizers, and music programming environments.
Why do scale degree arrays in this calculator extend beyond the 8th degree?
An octave contains 8 diatonic scale degrees (1 through 8, where 8 is the octave repetition of degree 1), but musical phrases and melodies frequently extend into a second octave without resetting the degree numbering. Degrees 9 through 15 are the upper-octave equivalents of degrees 2 through 8, and composers often refer to a 9th chord or a raised 11th, for example. By providing offsets up to the 15th degree, the calculator supports two-octave melodic lines, extended chord voicings, and modal analysis without requiring the user to manually transpose values up by 12.