Which scale has the interval pattern WHWWHWW?

Which scale has the interval pattern WHWWHWW?

• A. Chromatic Scale
• B. Minor Scale
• C. Diatonic Scale
• D. Major Scale

Answer: (B)

That interval pattern shows how distances between successive notes are arranged in a scale. WHWWHWW means you move a whole step, then a half, then a whole, then a whole, then a half, then a whole, then a whole. That sequence is the natural minor scale (the Aeolian mode). The major scale uses a different pattern (W W H W W W H), which doesn’t fit this order. A chromatic scale is all half steps, which also doesn’t fit. So the given pattern uniquely matches the natural minor scale.

That interval pattern shows how distances between successive notes are arranged in a scale. WHWWHWW means you move a whole step, then a half, then a whole, then a whole, then a half, then a whole, then a whole. That sequence is the natural minor scale (the Aeolian mode). The major scale uses a different pattern (W W H W W W H), which doesn’t fit this order. A chromatic scale is all half steps, which also doesn’t fit. So the given pattern uniquely matches the natural minor scale.