Yep. In other words, the common scales are the number of consecutive perfect 5ths to "almost" land back on the first note, with "almost" defined progressively s

Yep. In other words, the common scales are the number of consecutive perfect 5ths to "almost" land back on the first note, with "almost" defined progressively stricter. This exercise could be extended to make longer scales, but the additional notes would be close enough to the first 12 to just sound to human ears more like knockoffs of notes in the first 12 than new notes in their own right. Instead, the standard of modifying the 11 notes after the first in various ways to make instruments sound good in more keys proved to be more worthwhile.