chromatic scales
YouTube Playlist: Scale Mastery for Professional Saxophonists
- Title: chromatic scales
- Release date: September 12, 2026
- Produced by: Djere Services Group
- Audio generated using: Gemini Notebook
- Audio and video edited using only Free Software/open-source software (FOSS): Shotcut
- Associated article: https://saxtalk.com/chromatic-scales.html
Executive Summary
In this article/video, we're going to carefully study and master the chromatic scales (ascending and descending) in all 15 key signatures. We'll use my Balanced Scale Pairs System (see Reference A) to master the scales. I arbitrarily chose the major scales as my foundation for building the chromatic scales since major scales are the most well known. For example, we'll use the C major scale as the foundation that we use to build the C chromatic scale, and then we'll master 7 key pairs: the 1-accidental key pair through the 7-accidental key pair.
Keywords: chromatic scales, major scales, music theory, key signatures, scale notes, sharps and flats, accidentals, practice charts, music reference, saxophone practice, instrumental practice
0 Accidentals
| Label | Key | Signature | Scale Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 00 | C chromatic | 0 | C - C# - D - D# - E - F - F# - G - G# - A - A# - B - C (Ascending) C - B - Bb - A - Ab - G - Gb - F - E - Eb - D - Db - C (Descending) |
1 Accidental
| Label | Key | Signature | Scale Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01a | G chromatic | 1 Sharp (F#) | G - G# - A - A# - B - C - C# - D - D# - E - F - F# - G (Ascending) G - Gb - F - E - Eb - D - Db - C - B - Bb - A - Ab - G (Descending) |
| 01b | F chromatic | 1 Flat (Bb) | F - F# - G - G# - A - A# - B - C - C# - D - D# - E - F (Ascending) F - E - Eb - D - Db - C - B - Bb - A - Ab - G - Gb - F (Descending) |
2 Accidentals
| Label | Key | Signature | Scale Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 02a | D chromatic | 2 Sharps (F#, C#) | D - D# - E - F - F# - G - G# - A - A# - B - C - C# - D (Ascending) D - Db - C - B - Bb - A - Ab - G - Gb - F - E - Eb - D (Descending) |
| 02b | Bb chromatic | 2 Flats (Bb, Eb) | Bb - B - C - C# - D - D# - E - F - F# - G - G# - A - Bb (Ascending) Bb - A - Ab - G - Gb - F - E - Eb - D - Db - C - Cb - Bb (Descending) |
3 Accidentals
| Label | Key | Signature | Scale Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 03a | A chromatic | 3 Sharps (F#, C#, G#) | A - A# - B - C - C# - D - D# - E - F - F# - G - G# - A (Ascending) A - Ab - G - Gb - F - E - Eb - D - Db - C - B - Bb - A (Descending) |
| 03b | Eb chromatic | 3 Flats (Bb, Eb, Ab) | Eb - E - F - F# - G - G# - A - A# - B - C - C# - D - Eb (Ascending) Eb - D - Db - C - B - Bb - A - Ab - G - Gb - F - E - Eb (Descending) |
4 Accidentals
| Label | Key | Signature | Scale Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 04a | E chromatic | 4 Sharps (F#, C#, G#, D#) | E - F - F# - G - G# - A - A# - B - C - C# - D - D# - E (Ascending) E - Eb - D - Db - C - B - Bb - A - Ab - G - Gb - F - E (Descending) |
| 04b | Ab chromatic | 4 Flats (Bb, Eb, Ab, Db) | Ab - A - Bb - B - C - C# - D - D# - E - F - F# - G - Ab (Ascending) Ab - G - Gb - F - E - Eb - D - Db - C - B - Bb - A - Ab (Descending) |
5 Accidentals
| Label | Key | Signature | Scale Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 05a | B chromatic | 5 Sharps (F#, C#, G#, D#, A#) | B - C - C# - D - D# - E - F - F# - G - G# - A - A# - B (Ascending) B - Bb - A - Ab - G - Gb - F - E - Eb - D - Db - C - B (Descending) |
| 05b | Db chromatic | 5 Flats (Bb, Eb, Ab, Db, Gb) | Db - D - Eb - E - F - F# - G - G# - A - A# - B - C - Db (Ascending) Db - C - B - Bb - A - Ab - G - Gb - F - E - Eb - D - Db (Descending) |
6 Accidentals
| Label | Key | Signature | Scale Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 06a | F# chromatic | 6 Sharps (F#, C#, G#, D#, A#, E#) | F# - G - G# - A - A# - B - C - C# - D - D# - E - E# - F# (Ascending) F# - F - E - Eb - D - Db - C - B - Bb - A - Ab - G - Gb - F# (Descending) |
| 06b | Gb chromatic | 6 Flats (Bb, Eb, Ab, Db, Gb, Cb) | Gb - G - Ab - A - Bb - B - C - Db - D - Eb - E - F - Gb (Ascending) Gb - F - E - Eb - D - Db - C - B - Bb - A - Ab - G - Gb (Descending) |
7 Accidentals
| Label | Key | Signature | Scale Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 07a | C# chromatic | 7 Sharps (F#, C#, G#, D#, A#, E#, B#) | C# - D - D# - E - F - F# - G - G# - A - A# - B - C - C# (Ascending) C# - C - B - Bb - A - Ab - G - Gb - F - E - Eb - D - C# (Descending) |
| 07b | Cb chromatic | 7 Flats (Bb, Eb, Ab, Db, Gb, Cb, Fb) | Cb - C - Db - D - Eb - E - F - Gb - G - Ab - A - Bb - Cb (Ascending) Cb - Bb - A - Ab - G - Gb - F - E - Eb - D - Db - C - Cb (Descending) |