6 minute read

Here is the definitive list of all the main scales that can be played in each of the first five positions. Bare numbers represent blowing into the hole of the same number, bracketed numbers represent drawing (sucking) on a hole of the same number.

Master Scale

The scale below is what I like to call the Master Scale. It is this scale from which the Modal scales are extracted, i.e. the notes for the scales, that have the same name as the position (e.g. Ionian, Mixolydian, etc.), can all be found in the Master Scale. They just start and finish on different letters.

C  D  E  F     G   A     B  C  D  E  F  G  A   B  C  D  E  F  G  A   B   C
1 (1) 2 (2bb) (2) (3bb) (3) 4 (4) 5 (5) 6 (6) (7) 7 (8) 8 (9) 9 (10) 10b 10

1st Position (Ionian Mode)

Ionian (Major) Scale

C  D  E  F     G   A     B  C
1 (1) 2 (2bb) (2) (3bb) (3) 4

4 (4) 5 (5)    6  (6)   (7) 7

7 (8) 8 (9)    9  (10)  10b 10
bb Bb
b Eb Gb B
BLOW C E G C E G C E G C
HOLE 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
DRAW D G B D F A B D F A
b Db Gb Bb Db Ab
bb F A
bbb Ab

Blues Scale

C Eb  F     Gb   G   Bb  C
1 X  (2bb) (2b) (2) (3b) 4

4 X  (5)    X    6   X   7

7 X  (9)    9b   9  10bb 10
bb Bb
b Eb Gb B
BLOW C E G C E G C E G C
HOLE 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
DRAW D G B D F A B D F A
b Db Gb Bb Db Ab
bb F A
bbb Ab

Major Pentatonic Scale

C  D  E  G   A    C
1 (1) 2 (2) (3bb) 4

4 (4) 5  6  (6)   7

7 (8) 8  9  (10)  10
bb Bb
b Eb Gb B
BLOW C E G C E G C E G C
HOLE 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
DRAW D G B D F A B D F A
b Db Gb Bb Db Ab
bb F A
bbb Ab

2nd Position (Mixolydian Mode)

Mixolydian Scale

 G   A     B  C  D  E  F     G
              1 (1) 2 (2bb) (2)

(2) (3bb) (3) 4 (4) 5 (5)    6

 6  (6)   (7) 7 (8) 8 (9)    9

 9  (10)  10b 10
bb Bb
b Eb Gb B
BLOW C E G C E G C E G C
HOLE 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
DRAW D G B D F A B D F A
b Db Gb Bb Db Ab
bb F A
bbb Ab

Blues Scale

 G   Bb  C  Db   D   F     G
         1 (1b) (1) (2bb) (2)

(2) (3b) 4 (4b) (4) (5)    6

 6   X   7  X   (8) (9)    9

 9  10bb 10
bb Bb
b Eb Gb B
BLOW C E G C E G C E G C
HOLE 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
DRAW D G B D F A B D F A
b Db Gb Bb Db Ab
bb F A
bbb Ab

Major Pentatonic Scale

 G   A     B   D  E  G
              (1) 2 (2)

(2) (3bb) (3) (4) 5  6

 6  (6)   (7) (8) 8  9

 9  (10)  10b
bb Bb
b Eb Gb B
BLOW C E G C E G C E G C
HOLE 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
DRAW D G B D F A B D F A
b Db Gb Bb Db Ab
bb F A
bbb Ab

3rd Position (Dorian Mode)

Dorian Minor Scale

 D  E  F     G   A     B  C  D
                          1 (1)

(1) 2 (2bb) (2) (3bb) (3) 4 (4)

(4) 5 (5)    6  (6)   (7) 7 (8)

(8) 8 (9)    9  (10)  10b 10
bb Bb
b Eb Gb B
BLOW C E G C E G C E G C
HOLE 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
DRAW D G B D F A B D F A
b Db Gb Bb Db Ab
bb F A
bbb Ab

Blues Scale

 D   F     G   Ab     A    C  D
                           1 (1)

(1) (2bb) (2) (3bbb) (3bb) 4 (4)

(4) (5)    6  (6b)   (6)   7 (8)

(8) (9)    9   X     (10)  10
bb Bb
b Eb Gb B
BLOW C E G C E G C E G C
HOLE 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
DRAW D G B D F A B D F A
b Db Gb Bb Db Ab
bb F A
bbb Ab

4th Position (Aeolian Mode)

Aeolian (Natural) Minor Scale

 A     B  C  D  E  F      G   A
          1 (1) 2 (2bb)  (2) (3bb)

(3bb) (3) 4 (4) 5 (5)     6  (6)

(6)   (7) 7 (8) 8 (9)     9  (10)

(10)  10b 10
bb Bb
b Eb Gb B
BLOW C E G C E G C E G C
HOLE 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
DRAW D G B D F A B D F A
b Db Gb Bb Db Ab
bb F A
bbb Ab

Blues Scale

 A    C  D  Eb E  G   A
      1 (1) X  2 (2) (3bb)

(3bb) 4 (4) X  5  6  (6)

(6)   7 (8) 8b 8  9  (10)

(10)  10
bb Bb
b Eb Gb B
BLOW C E G C E G C E G C
HOLE 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
DRAW D G B D F A B D F A
b Db Gb Bb Db Ab
bb F A
bbb Ab

5th Position (Phrygian Mode)

Phrygian Minor Scale

E  F     G   A     B  C  D  E
                      1 (1) 2

2 (2bb) (2) (3bb) (3) 4 (4) 5

5 (5)    6  (6)   (7) 7 (8) 8

8 (9)    9  (10)  10b 10
bb Bb
b Eb Gb B
BLOW C E G C E G C E G C
HOLE 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
DRAW D G B D F A B D F A
b Db Gb Bb Db Ab
bb F A
bbb Ab

Blues Scale

E G  A     Bb   B   D  E
                   (1) 2

2 3 (3bb) (3b) (3) (4) 5

5 6 (6)    X   (7) (8) 8

8 9 (10)  10bb 10b
bb Bb
b Eb Gb B
BLOW C E G C E G C E G C
HOLE 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
DRAW D G B D F A B D F A
b Db Gb Bb Db Ab
bb F A
bbb Ab

Minor Pentatonic Scale

E  G   A     B   D  E
                (1) 2

2 (2) (3bb) (3) (4) 5

5  6  (6)   (7) (8) 8

8  9  (10)  10b
bb Bb
b Eb Gb B
BLOW C E G C E G C E G C
HOLE 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
DRAW D G B D F A B D F A
b Db Gb Bb Db Ab
bb F A
bbb Ab

Updated: