Major Scales

A musician can begin on any note to play a major scale by playing the pattern for a major scale up eight notes and back down to the original note.  That is called 'playing one octave' of a major scale.

 

Each scale is named by the note it starts on.  For example, a C scale begins on a C and creates the key of C.

 

 

 

 

Challenge note:

The following sections present advanced concepts which are mathmatically complex.  Most musicians learn these concepts over a span of years.  Give your brain some time to absorb the logic.

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The major scale pattern is made up of:

two tetrachords with a whole step between them, and

a tetrachord is two whole steps and a half step.

 

A C major scale will not need any flats or sharps to complete the pattern.  So a piece of music written in the key of C, will not have any flats or sharps in the key signature.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A G major scale will need the seventh note of the scale to be sharped, in order to make the pattern.  The seventh note is F, so a piece of music written in the key of G will have an F sharp in the key signature.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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An F major scale will need to use a flat in order to make the major scale pattern.  So a piece of music written in the key of F will have a B flat in the key signature.

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The pattern of major scales moves upwards in a sequence called the circle of fifths.  To become familiar with all possible key signatures, it is helpful to understand the circle of fifths.