Scale Forge

You are given a root and a scale or mode to build. Place step tiles into the slots so the pattern of whole steps, half steps and augmented seconds spells exactly that scale. The running note names update as you place tiles; fill it correctly and the scale plays back.

• Tiles are W (whole step), H (half step) and A2 (augmented second)
• Place the exact step pattern, wrong slots are flagged so you can swap them
• Solve faster, with fewer hints and tiles left over, for a higher score

• Desktop: click a tile then a slot (or use W/H/A keys to pick tiles and number keys to fill slots, Backspace to undo)
• Phone & tablet: tap a tile, then tap a slot

• Difficulty: Easy, Medium or Hard scales and modes
• Daily for a shared scale, Practice for fresh ones

• Recall the signature gaps, major is W W H W W W H, and harmonic minor hides an augmented second before its leading tone
• Place the half steps first; they pin down where every other step has to fall

Scale Forge is a music-theory construction puzzle for learning the step patterns behind scales and modes.

• Skills: scales, modes, step patterns, music theory
• Best for: roughly grades 6–12 (ages 11+)
• For parents & teachers: the patterns behind scales and modes.

Laying step tiles so the pattern of whole steps, half steps and augmented seconds spells a given scale or mode is scale construction from intervals rather than from letters.

Including the augmented second is the original completeness.

That interval is what separates the modes people learn from the ones they do not. Major and minor are built from whole and half steps alone; the harmonic minor and several traditional modes need the augmented second, and it is the reason those scales sound the way they do.

Scale Forge is a music-theory construction puzzle for learning the step patterns behind scales and modes. It is an original, free browser game built in-house for PlayPendium.

A free, original browser game on PlayPendium. No download, no install.