Scale sheets

Mallet minor scales

All 12 minor scales (natural, harmonic, or melodic) 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
Minor form
Show
Keys to show and print (minor)
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.

A natural minor

Tap a note to hear it
44ABCDEFGAGFEDCBACEAECA
ABCDEFGAC5C6

D natural minor

Tap a note to hear it
44DEFGAB♭CDCB♭AGFEDFADAFD
C4DEFGACDC6B♭

G natural minor

Tap a note to hear it
44GAB♭CDE♭FGFE♭DCB♭AGB♭DGDB♭G
C4GACDFGC6B♭E♭

C natural minor

Tap a note to hear it
44CDE♭FGA♭B♭CB♭A♭GFE♭DCE♭GCGE♭C
CDFGCC6E♭A♭B♭

F natural minor

Tap a note to hear it
44FGA♭B♭CD♭E♭FE♭D♭CB♭A♭GFA♭CFCA♭F
C4FGCFC6A♭B♭D♭E♭

B♭ natural minor

Tap a note to hear it
44B♭CD♭E♭FG♭A♭B♭A♭G♭FE♭D♭CB♭D♭FB♭FD♭B♭
CFC5C6B♭D♭E♭G♭A♭B♭

E♭ natural minor

Tap a note to hear it
44E♭FG♭A♭B♭C♭D♭E♭D♭C♭B♭A♭G♭FE♭G♭B♭E♭B♭G♭E♭
C4FC♭C5C6E♭G♭A♭B♭D♭E♭

E natural minor

Tap a note to hear it
44EF♯GABCDEDCBAGF♯EGBEBGE
C4EGABCDEC6F♯

B natural minor

Tap a note to hear it
44BC♯DEF♯GABAGF♯EDC♯BDF♯BF♯DB
BC4DEGABC5C6C♯F♯

F♯ natural minor

Tap a note to hear it
44F♯G♯ABC♯DEF♯EDC♯BAG♯F♯AC♯F♯C♯AF♯
C4ABC5DEC6F♯G♯C♯F♯

C♯ natural minor

Tap a note to hear it
44C♯D♯EF♯G♯ABC♯BAG♯F♯ED♯C♯EG♯C♯G♯EC♯
C4EABC5C6C♯D♯F♯G♯C♯

G♯ natural minor

Tap a note to hear it
44G♯A♯BC♯D♯EF♯G♯F♯ED♯C♯BA♯G♯BD♯G♯D♯BG♯
BC4EC5C6G♯A♯C♯D♯F♯G♯
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.

Natural, harmonic, and melodic minor

Natural minor uses only the notes in its key signature. Harmonic minor raises the 7th note, going up and coming down. Melodic minor raises the 6th and 7th going up, then comes down as natural minor, so its keyboard shows both versions of those two notes. Coming down, the 6th and 7th each have a courtesy accidental, a reminder that they're back to the notes in the key signature.

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.