Scale sheets

Mallet scales

All 12 major scales for bells, xylophone, marimba, or vibraphone, up and back down and the arpeggio, with a keyboard under each scale showing the bars to play. Pick the keys you want, or print all 12.
Scales
Range
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Keys to show and print
Spelling

Bells (glockenspiel), written G3 to C6. Sounds two octaves higher than written. Filled bars are the notes in each scale; the starting note has a thick outline.

C major

Tap a note to hear it
44CDEFGABCBAGFEDCEGCGEC
CDEFGABCC6

F major

Tap a note to hear it
44FGAB♭CDEFEDCB♭AGFACFCAF
C4FGACDEFC6B♭

B♭ major

Tap a note to hear it
44B♭CDE♭FGAB♭AGFE♭DCB♭DFB♭FDB♭
CDFGAC5C6B♭E♭B♭

E♭ major

Tap a note to hear it
44E♭FGA♭B♭CDE♭DCB♭A♭GFE♭GB♭E♭B♭GE♭
C4FGCDC6E♭A♭B♭E♭

A♭ major

Tap a note to hear it
44A♭B♭CD♭E♭FGA♭GFE♭D♭CB♭A♭CE♭A♭E♭CA♭
CFGC5C6A♭B♭D♭E♭A♭

D♭ major

Tap a note to hear it
44D♭E♭FG♭A♭B♭CD♭CB♭A♭G♭FE♭D♭FA♭D♭A♭FD♭
C4FCC6D♭E♭G♭A♭B♭D♭

G♭ major

Tap a note to hear it
44G♭A♭B♭C♭D♭E♭FG♭FE♭D♭C♭B♭A♭G♭B♭D♭G♭D♭B♭G♭
C4C♭C5FC6G♭A♭B♭D♭E♭G♭

G major

Tap a note to hear it
44GABCDEF♯GF♯EDCBAGBDGDBG
C4GABCDEGC6F♯

D major

Tap a note to hear it
44DEF♯GABC♯DC♯BAGF♯EDF♯ADAF♯D
C4DEGABC5DC6F♯C♯

A major

Tap a note to hear it
44ABC♯DEF♯G♯AG♯F♯EDC♯BAC♯EAEC♯A
ABC4DEAC5C6C♯F♯G♯

E major

Tap a note to hear it
44EF♯G♯ABC♯D♯ED♯C♯BAG♯F♯EG♯BEBG♯E
C4EABC5EC6F♯G♯C♯D♯

B major

Tap a note to hear it
44BC♯D♯EF♯G♯A♯BA♯G♯F♯ED♯C♯BD♯F♯BF♯D♯B
BC4EBC5C6C♯D♯F♯G♯A♯
About mallet scale sheets

Reading the keyboard

Under each scale is the whole bells keyboard: the naturals in front, the sharps and flats in the raised row behind, low notes on the left. The filled bars are the notes in that scale, named the way the scale spells them, and the starting note has a thick outline. Find the bars before you play.

How each scale is laid out

Each measure of the scale starts with a quarter note on beat one, then eighth notes, up and back down. The arpeggio follows in triplets, and the scale ends on a whole note. With 2 octaves on, a scale that won't fit on the instrument you picked is printed in one octave and marked "1 octave". Tap a note or play a line to hear it in the instrument's octave: bells sound two octaves above the written note, xylophone one octave above, and marimba and vibraphone as written.

Practicing scales on mallets

Use a metronome and start slow. Strike the center of each natural bar, and the near edge of the raised bars when the center is out of reach. Keep your eyes on the music and use the keyboard as a map, not a crutch: by the time a scale is fast, your hands should know where the bars are.

Practice them

Play scales one note at a time in the Percussion Trainer: it checks every bar you play.