Build a Major Scale

What you’ll learn

A scale climbs from a home note to the next note with the same letter, using every letter once, in order. A major scale always climbs in the same steps:

whole, whole, half, whole, whole, whole, half

That pattern (W W H W W W H) is the major scale formula, and it works from any starting note.

Start on C and the white keys fit that pattern exactly. Its two half steps land on E–F and B–C, the two pairs with no black key between them that you met in half steps and whole steps.

Start on any other note and the pattern needs a black key. From G, the step from E to F has to be a whole step, so F becomes F sharp. From F, the step from A to B has to be a half step, so B becomes B flat.

Notice that G major has F♯, never G♭. Every letter is used once, and the letter after E is F.

How the lesson works

The lesson’s keyboard runs from middle C up to the G above the next C, so G major fits on it. There are three tasks:

1. Build it. Start on the home note and tap each next key, following the pattern. You build C major, then G major, then F major. For the last one the pattern is hidden, until a wrong key brings it back.
2. Spot the wrong note. A scale appears on the staff and plays. One note may have a sign it shouldn’t, or be missing one it needs. Tap it, or say it’s all right. A wrong answer explains which step breaks the pattern and how to fix it.
3. Write it. In the editor, write G major and F major yourself, with the sharp and flat buttons from sharps, flats and naturals.

To play every major scale at the piano, with the fingering for both hands, print the free piano scales chart.