Major scales
A major scale is seven notes, one on each letter name, built from the same pattern of whole and half steps. Spell it with each letter once, apply the key signature, and you have it.
The pattern
W W H W W W H
Whole, whole, half, whole, whole, whole, half. In C major that’s C D E F G A B C, with the half steps between E–F and B–C, the two places on the piano with no black key between them.
Two rules that keep the spelling right
- Use every letter once. A scale on E is E F♯ G♯ A B C♯ D♯, never E G♭ A♭. That’s why F♯ major has an E♯ rather than an F.
- The key signature does the rest. The sharps or flats in a key are exactly the altered notes of its scale.
Every major scale
| Key | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C major | C | D | E | F | G | A | B |
| G major | G | A | B | C | D | E | F♯ |
| D major | D | E | F♯ | G | A | B | C♯ |
| A major | A | B | C♯ | D | E | F♯ | G♯ |
| E major | E | F♯ | G♯ | A | B | C♯ | D♯ |
| B major | B | C♯ | D♯ | E | F♯ | G♯ | A♯ |
| F♯ major | F♯ | G♯ | A♯ | B | C♯ | D♯ | E♯ |
| C♯ major | C♯ | D♯ | E♯ | F♯ | G♯ | A♯ | B♯ |
| F major | F | G | A | B♭ | C | D | E |
| B♭ major | B♭ | C | D | E♭ | F | G | A |
| E♭ major | E♭ | F | G | A♭ | B♭ | C | D |
| A♭ major | A♭ | B♭ | C | D♭ | E♭ | F | G |
| D♭ major | D♭ | E♭ | F | G♭ | A♭ | B♭ | C |
| G♭ major | G♭ | A♭ | B♭ | C♭ | D♭ | E♭ | F |
| C♭ major | C♭ | D♭ | E♭ | F♭ | G♭ | A♭ | B♭ |
Reading about it is a start. Ten minutes of practice a day makes it automatic.
Practice spelling scales →