How Orphere Names Every Scale: Step Patterns, Modal Rotations, and a Complete Library
In our previous post on chord naming, we showed how Orphere builds every chord name from degrees and intervals. Scales follow the same philosophy: names are generated from first principles rather than pulled from a fixed dictionary. This post explains how.
The format
Every scale name in Orphere follows one pattern:
Tonic + Scale Type
“C dorian” is the note C combined with the scale type “dorian”. “F# harmonic minor” is F# combined with “harmonic minor”. The tonic tells you where the scale starts, while the scale type tells you its internal structure.
The tonic is the starting note. The scale type is the pattern of intervals above it. Together they give you the full set of notes.
A quick example
Take “D harmonic minor”. Start with D, then apply the harmonic minor step sizes (2 - 1 - 2 - 2 - 1 - 3 - 1) to produce:
D, E, F, G, A, Bb, C#
The degrees are 1, 2, b3, 4, 5, b6, 7. Notice the characteristic augmented second between Bb and C#, the interval that gives harmonic minor its distinctive sound. Orphere’s engine ensures each note name is chosen correctly for the scale, so you get Bb rather than A# and C# rather than Db.
Scale classes: where types come from
Orphere organises the most commonly used heptatonic (7-note) scale types into scale classes. Each class is defined by its step sizes, the sequence of semitone distances between consecutive degrees:
| Class | Step sizes in semitones | Familiar examples |
|---|---|---|
| Diatonic | 2 - 2 - 1 - 2 - 2 - 2 - 1 | ionian (major), dorian, phrygian, lydian, mixolydian, aeolian (natural minor), locrian |
| Melodic minor | 2 - 1 - 2 - 2 - 2 - 2 - 1 | melodic minor, lydian dominant (acoustic), altered |
| Harmonic major | 2 - 2 - 1 - 2 - 1 - 3 - 1 | harmonic major, dorian b5 |
| Harmonic minor | 2 - 1 - 2 - 2 - 1 - 3 - 1 | harmonic minor, phrygian dominant |
| Neapolitan major | 1 - 2 - 2 - 2 - 2 - 2 - 1 | neapolitan major |
| Neapolitan minor | 1 - 2 - 2 - 2 - 1 - 3 - 1 | neapolitan minor, hungarian gypsy |
| Double harmonic | 1 - 3 - 1 - 2 - 1 - 3 - 1 | double harmonic major, oriental |
| Chromatic lydian inverse | 1 - 2 - 3 - 1 - 1 - 3 - 1 | chromatic lydian inverse |
| Chromatic lydian | 1 - 3 - 1 - 1 - 3 - 2 - 1 | chromatic phrygian |
The step sizes in each class always add up to 12 (the total semitones in an octave). For example, the diatonic steps 2 - 2 - 1 - 2 - 2 - 2 - 1 give you the familiar whole-whole-half-whole-whole-whole-half spacing of the major scale.
Modes through rotation
Each scale class produces 7 scale types, also known as modes, by rotating its step sizes. Take the diatonic class:
| Rotation | Step sizes | Mode |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 - 2 - 1 - 2 - 2 - 2 - 1 | ionian (major) |
| 2 | 2 - 1 - 2 - 2 - 2 - 1 - 2 | dorian |
| 3 | 1 - 2 - 2 - 2 - 1 - 2 - 2 | phrygian |
| 4 | 2 - 2 - 2 - 1 - 2 - 2 - 1 | lydian |
| 5 | 2 - 2 - 1 - 2 - 2 - 1 - 2 | mixolydian |
| 6 | 2 - 1 - 2 - 2 - 1 - 2 - 2 | aeolian (natural minor) |
| 7 | 1 - 2 - 2 - 1 - 2 - 2 - 2 | locrian |
Each rotation shifts the starting point by one degree, producing a new sequence of step sizes and a distinct sound. This is the same as saying “dorian is the second mode of the major scale”, but applied systematically across every scale class, not just the diatonic one.
Beyond 7 notes
Not every useful scale has 7 notes. Orphere’s library spans a range of note counts, drawing from the broader music theory literature in addition to the modal heptatonic types:
| Category | Notes | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Pentatonic | 5 | Major and minor pentatonic, plus less common variants |
| Hexatonic | 6 | Whole tone, augmented, blues scales |
| Heptatonic | 7 | Major, melodic minor, and many more |
| Octatonic | 8 | Diminished (half-whole and whole-half) scales |
| Other | 9, 10, or 12 | Specialised structures for less common applications |
| Chromatic | 12 | Used for atonal music |
These are sourced from established scale definitions, each with a unique set of degrees so no two scale types overlap.
Degrees: the identity of each note
Every note in a scale is assigned a degree that describes its position and quality relative to the tonic. A major third above the root is degree “3”. A minor third is “b3”. An augmented fourth is “#4”. Orphere classifies each degree into one of five modal categories:
| Category | Degrees |
|---|---|
| Non-modal | 1, 2, 4, 5 |
| Major | 3, 6, 7 |
| Minor | b3, b6, b7 |
| Hyper-minor | bb3, bb7, b2, b4, b5 |
| Hyper-major | #2, #4, #5 |
These categories help you quickly understand the colour of a scale. A scale with mostly “major” and “non-modal” degrees will sound bright and stable, while one containing “hyper-minor” degrees will sound darker.
Aliases
Many scale types are known by more than one name. Orphere handles this by storing aliases alongside the primary name. The lydian dominant scale is also called the “acoustic scale”. The aeolian mode is also “natural minor”. The double harmonic major is sometimes called “byzantine” or “arabic”. When you search for a scale in Orphere, it is matched against both primary names and aliases, so you can find what you’re looking for regardless of which naming tradition you learned from.
The complete picture
Orphere’s scale library contains 273 scale types, spanning standard Western modes, scales from non-Western traditions, and unusual structures you might reach for when a passage needs something different. All are built from the same set of rules and named in a way that tells you exactly what you’re getting.