Most scale finders ask you to type in notes you already know. This one works from the recording itself. Upload a song, a solo or a riff and the AI identifies the scale family (major, natural or harmonic minor, pentatonic, blues and others) and the mode, from Ionian through Locrian. The report lists the scale's notes and interval pattern, says whether the track stays in that scale or borrows from a parallel one, and points out melodic patterns that give the scale away. It also covers non-Western scales when they appear and explains what the choice says about the style, such as why a Mixolydian vamp sounds bluesy or a Phrygian riff sounds dark.
Example result
Input
A two-minute recording of a funk jam: clean electric guitar comping two chords over bass and drums, with a short improvised solo.
Output
Tonal center: D. The groove alternates Dm7 and G7, and every phrase settles back on D. Scale and mode: D Dorian (D E F G A B C). The natural sixth (B) heard in the G7 chord is what separates it from D natural minor. Intervals: W H W W W H W. Consistency: the rhythm section stays in Dorian throughout. The solo leans on the D minor pentatonic (D F G A C) and adds a blue note (Ab) as a passing tone twice. Modal interchange: none in the harmony. Style implications: the Dorian minor-with-a-bright-sixth sound is a staple of funk, soul and modal jazz, and gives the jam its cool rather than sad feel.
Scores
How it works
How Scale & Mode Detector works
- 01
Upload a recording
Sign in, open the tool and upload a song or record a riff in the browser. Choose which AI model should listen to it.
- 02
Find the tonal center
The AI listens for the note that phrases resolve to and the chords that feel like home, since the same seven notes can be C Ionian or D Dorian depending on the center.
- 03
Map notes to a scale and mode
It collects the pitches used in the melody and harmony, matches them to a scale and mode, and spells out the notes and the whole-step and half-step pattern.
- 04
Check for changes and explain the style
It follows the track section by section for modal interchange, key changes or exotic scales, then relates the scale choice to genre and mood.
Use cases
Who it is for
Guitarists and keyboard players improvising
Find out which scale to solo over before a jam, and whether the pentatonic box you know will fit or you need the full mode.
Music theory students
Check your own analysis of a piece against the AI's reading of tonal center, mode and borrowed chords, and read why each call was made.
Songwriters borrowing a sound
Learn which mode gives a reference track its color, like the raised fourth of Lydian in film cues, so you can write in the same world without copying the song.
Players exploring music from other traditions
Get a first reading on melodies built on scales outside the Western major and minor system, such as Hijaz or a Japanese pentatonic.
Tips
Get better results
- Include a section where the song clearly resolves, like the end of a chorus; the tonal center is what separates one mode from another.
- For a solo or riff, record over a drone or the backing chord so the AI can hear what the notes are played against.
- Upload the full song if you suspect a key change or a borrowed chord; a short clip may only show one section.
- If you just need the major or minor key, the in-browser key finder is quicker. Use this tool when the mode or scale type matters.
Limitations
What it can't tell you
The report is an AI interpretation of the recording, not a note-by-note transcription. Modes that share the same notes (for example A Aeolian and C Ionian) are told apart by tonal center, and on ambiguous material with no drone or clear cadence reasonable listeners can disagree. Dense mixes, detuned instruments and microtonal music make the notes harder to pin down. Confirm the result by playing the scale along with the track.
Frequently Asked Questions
Scale & Mode Detector questions
What scale is this song in?
Upload the track and the scale finder names the scale and mode, spells out its notes and shows how confident it is compared with close alternatives. It also tells you if the song shifts scale or borrows chords, so you know whether one scale covers the whole piece or only part of it.
What is the difference between a key and a mode?
A key names a tonal center plus major or minor. A mode names the exact pattern of steps from that center. D Dorian and D natural minor are both minor-sounding and centered on D, but Dorian has a natural sixth. This tool reports both the scale family and the specific mode.
Can this mode finder tell Dorian from Aeolian or Mixolydian from Ionian?
That is its main job. The AI looks for the one or two notes that separate close modes, such as the sixth in Dorian versus Aeolian or the flat seventh in Mixolydian versus Ionian, and explains in the report which note tipped the decision.
Does it recognize pentatonic, blues and non-Western scales?
Yes. The analysis covers major and minor pentatonic, the blues scale, harmonic and melodic minor, and, when they are present, scales from other traditions such as Arabic maqam flavors or Japanese pentatonic forms. For microtonal systems it describes the scale approximately rather than exactly.
Can I type in notes instead of uploading audio?
No. This scale identifier works from a recording, which is useful when you do not know the notes yet. If you can play the riff, record it on your phone and upload that. For a single sung or played note, the pitch detector will tell you what it is.
How do I get access to the scale finder?
The scale finder is one of the AI tools included with a paid LindaleAI plan, and each analysis draws on your monthly credits. The pricing page lists the current plans.
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Scale & Mode Detector uses credits from a paid LindaleAI plan. See pricing