This is a list of 15 metal guitar scales, complete with fretboard diagrams and scale formulas.
These are the metal scales used by legendary metal guitarists like Tony Iommi, Kirk Hammett, John Petrucci, Synyster Gates, and Tosin Abasi.
If you want to write riffs, solos, and melodies like the metal guitar pros, this guide is a great place to start.
Table of Contents
Minor Pentatonic Scale
The minor pentatonic scale is a 5-note scale that’s easy to memorize, and it’s often used for solos in hard rock and metal.
The minor pentatonic scale is a must-know guitar scale for metal. Memorize all 5 scale positions if you want to get the most out of it!
Formula: 1 – b3 – 4 – 5 – b7
Natural Minor Scale (Aeolian)
The natural minor scale, generally referred to as the “minor scale”, is a 7-note scale known for its emotional tone created by its minor 6th interval.
The natural minor scale is one of the most common scales used in metal guitar which makes it a fantastic scale for writing riffs and solos. If you’re not sure which metal scale to write with, you can’t go wrong with this one.
Formula: 1 – 2 – b3 – 4 – 5 – b6 – b7
Harmonic Minor Scale
The harmonic minor scale is a 7-note minor scale with a sharp 7th rather than a minor 7th. The sharp 7th interval gives it its signature sound, which is a unique blend of dissonance and elegance.
It’s especially popular in neoclassical metal, but it makes a fine addition to any other metal genre.
Formula: 1 – 2 – b3 – 4 – 5 – b6 – 7
Phrygian Dominant Scale
The Phrygian dominant scale is 7-note scale with a unique sound due to its major triad at the root note.
A lot of metal guitarists talk about its “Middle Eastern” sound, but it’s far more versatile than that.
It’s a great scale for heavy riffs, but it’s also a beautiful acoustic metal scale.
Formula: 1 – b2 – 3 – 4 – 5 – b6 – b7
Phrygian Scale
The Phrygian scale is a 7-note minor scale with a b2 rather than a major 2nd.
The b2 interval makes it a great scale for building tension, and it’s sometimes referred to as a Spanish scale.
Formula: 1 – b2 – b3 – 4 – 5 – b6 – b7
Blues Scale (Minor)
The blues scale is a 6-note scale that adds a “blues” note, the b5, between the 4th and 5th intervals in a typical minor pentatonic scale shape.
The blues note makes it easy to develop tension-building phrases in metal licks. It’s especially popular to play the blues note in a passage using bends, slides, or passing tones.
Formula: 1 – b3 – 4 – b5 – 5 – b7
Diminished Scale (Whole-Half)
The diminished scale is a symmetrical scale playing by alternating whole steps and half steps. The simple symmetry makes it easy to write “outside” licks on single strings.
It’s also a scale with lots of unique patterns and shapes that move across multiple strings. Use the diminished scale fretboard diagram to find diminished patterns on the neck that you can use for improvising and writing solos.
Formula: 1 – 2 – b3 – 4 – b5 – b6 – 6 – 7
Whole Tone Scale
The whole tone scale is a symmetrical 6-note scale built with whole steps (whole tones) exclusively. Its sound is quite mesmerizing and unique.
It’s easy to write metal licks with the whole tone scale, and it’s fun to play augmented arpeggios at every degree of the scale.
Formula: 1 – 2 – 3 – b5 – b6 – b7 (W-W-W-W-W-W)
Lydian Scale
The Lydian scale is a 7-note major scale with a sharp 4th interval, rather than a major 4th.
The relationship between the root note and the sharp 4th gives the Lydian scale its signature sound. It’s a great scale for progressive metal and ambient/ atmospheric metal.
Formula: 1 – 2 – 3 – #4 – 5 – 6 – 7
Chromatic Scale
The chromatic scale is 12-note scale containing every semitone in Western harmony. This means you can start it from any root note and move to its octave using only half-steps.
It’s one of the best scales for 4-notes-per-string passages, and the sound it creates is chaotic and flat-out cool. Due to this sound, it’s best used to build tension and release it by resolving to a primary tone from a different root scale, such as the natural minor scale.
Formula: 1 – b2 – 2 – b3 – 3 – 4 – b5 – 5 – b6 – 6 – b7 – 7
Melodic Minor Scale (Ascending)
The melodic minor scale is a minor scale with a major 6th and a major 7th. It’s usually used in progressive metal and jazz fusion.
One way you can create insane sounds with the melodic minor scale is by starting at the b3 and playing either an augmented arpeggio or a phrase with 4 whole steps.
Formula: 1 – 2 – b3 – 4 – 5 – 6 – 7
Hungarian Minor Scale
The Hungarian minor scale is a wild-sounding minor scale with a raised 4th and major 7th. You can think of it like the harmonic scale with a #4.
Its chromatic intervals at b5-5-b6, to its augmented triad at the b3, to its diminished dyad at the 1 and 2, make this an intense beast of a metal guitar scale.
Formula: 1 – 2 – b3 – b5 – 5 – b6 – 7
Hirajoshi Scale
The Hirajoshi scale is a five-note scale with a “Japanese” sound.
It highlights the 5 fundamental intervals from the Lydian scale, leaving out the the 2nd and the 6th. This makes it somewhat of a Lydian pentatonic scale.
And the relationship between the root note and the b5 give the Hirajoshi scale it’s signature sound.
Formula: 1 – 3 – #4 – 5 – 7
Augmented Scale
The augmented scale is a 6-note symmetrical scale built from alternating minor 3rds and minor 2nds.
This means that you’ll continually move up 3 frets then 1 fret when playing the scale on a single string.
You can play an augmented triad or arpeggio from every degree of the augmented scale, making it one of the most metal sounding scales for the guitar.
Formula: 1 – b3 – 3 – 5 – b6 – 7
Major Scale (Ionian)
The major scale is a 7-note scale whose intervals are all natural.
Due to it’s lack of tension building tones, it’s usually used in melodic metal genres like power metal and progressive metal.
Formula: 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 – 6 – 7