Python functions to generate the names of the notes for various musical scales, meant to be used for quick reference when practising the guitar.

guitar_scales.py

#!/usr/bin/env python
notes       = ['a', 'a#', 'b', 'c', 'c#', 'd', 'd#', 'e', 'f', 'f#', 'g', 'g#'] * 2

chroma      = lambda x: [ i for i in notes[ notes.index(x): ] + notes[ :notes.index(x) ] ] + [x]
major       = lambda x: ( chroma(x)[:5] + [chroma(x)[5]] + chroma(x)[5:12] )[::2] + [x]
major_penta = lambda x: [ i for idx, i in enumerate(major(x)) if idx not in (3, 6) ]
minor_penta = lambda x: ( major_penta( notes[ notes.index(x) + 3 ])[:-1] * 2)[-6:]

"""
# for example
for i in 'abcdefg':
    print '-------------------------------'
    print 'Chromatic Scale in        %s: %s' % (i, ', '.join(chroma(i)[:13]))
    print 'Major Scale in            %s: %s' % (i, ', '.join(major(i)))
    print 'Major Pentatonic Scale in %s: %s' % (i, ', '.join(major_penta(i)))
    print 'Minor Pentatonic Scale in %s: %s' % (i, ', '.join(minor_penta(i)))
"""