The Major Scales - all major scales at a glance
In this post, you will get to know all major scales on the piano, learn how they are constructed, and what distinguishes them from minor scales.
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Gordon November
Gordon November
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How many major scales are there?
Major scales are your ladders to piano heaven. They take you rung by rung – or rather: key by key – further up. And turn you into a piano expert. Let’s climb the scales together and bring you closer to your goals.
In this post, you will get to know all major scales on the piano, learn how they are constructed, and what distinguishes them from minor scales.
Have you ever counted the keys on a classical piano? If not, I’ll tell you now how many keys a piano usually has. There are exactly 88 of them, and thus 88 notes. Although there are actually only 12 different notes on the piano, they always repeat after 12 keys.
Why am I telling you this? Because you can build all major scales from the 12 notes on the piano. And every scale starts with one of these 12 notes. What do we conclude from this? Exactly: There are 12 major scales.
The major scales starting on the white keys
The C Major Scale
The simplest scale among all scales is the C major scale. Why is it so simple, you ask? Because you only need the white keys to play it. That’s also the special feature of this key.
C – D – E – F – G – A – B – C
The D Major Scale
The D major scale consists of the notes:
D – E – F# – G – A – B – C# – D
This scale has two sharps and thus two black keys: F# and C#.
The E Major Scale
The E major key consists of the notes
E – F# – G# – A – B – C# – D# – E
Phew. Quite a few sharps. We have exactly four sharps here: F#, G#, C#, and D#.
The F Major Scale
If you want to play the F major scale, you need the following notes:
F – G – A – Bb – C – D – E – F
Very relaxed. Here we only have one accidental: a Bb.
The G Major Scale
The G major scale contains the notes G, A, B, C, D, E, E, F#, and G. So it has exactly one sharp before F, which is thus raised by a semitone.
The A Major Scale
The A major scale consists of the notes
A – B – C# – D – E – F# – G# – A. So this key has three sharps.
The B Major Scale
For the B major scale, you need the following notes:
B – C# – D# – E – F# – G# – A# – B
With that, we have found the king of sharps among the keys that start on the white keys. Because: B major has a full 5 sharps.
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The major scales starting on the black keys
The F# Major Scale
The F# major scale starts on a black key: F#. You play it upwards with the notes
F# – G# – A# – B – C# – D# – E# – F#
So this key has a full 6 sharps!
The C# Major Scale
The C# major scale consists of the notes
C# – D# – E# – F# – G# – A# – B# – C#
A key with a total of seven sharps. That’s the maximum.
The Ab Major Scale
Now we come back to a more relaxed scale. Because: Ab major has comparatively few accidentals.
The Ab major scale is composed of the following notes:
Ab – Bb – C – Db – Eb – F – G – Ab
The Eb Major Scale
This is what the Eb major scale looks like:
Eb – F – G – Ab – Bb – C – D – Eb
So how many accidentals does this key have? Exactly. Three of them. To be precise, three flats.
The Bb Major Scale
The Bb major scale begins – how could it be otherwise – on Bb. Overall, it is composed of the following notes:
Bb – C – D – Eb – F – G – A – Bb
So here we have two flats as accidentals.
Exercise: Play all these scales once up and down on your piano. Or just upwards. As you like. Do you notice anything? Tip: Pay attention to the intervals between the notes. Then you will notice something. The answer follows now.
Play Piano by Intuition
What does a major scale look like?
You have just learned all major scales. They all always consist of 8 notes, with each note being a different pitch. They always start on the tonic – the note from which the scale gets its name – and end on the octave note. The octave note always corresponds to the note with which the scale begins.
If you already know what semitones and whole tones are, read on now. Otherwise, check out my post on it first.
No matter which scale you play. The interval between the notes is ALWAYS the same.
In every major scale, there are two semitones. They are always located between the 3rd and 4th and between the 7th and 8th notes.
This knowledge is huge for you. Because now you can build any major scale yourself. Without sheet music. And without memorizing.
Become a Major Scale Pro
Some say: Practicing scales is boring.
And what do I say? They are the rungs to piano heaven. They turn you into a piano pro. And are the basis for free and intuitive music-making.
Intuitive music-making? Has that made you curious? Then you should check out piano.university. Here you will find my course on intuitive piano playing. Hundreds of aspiring pianists before you have taken their path to piano heaven with this course, with the help of major scales that brought them rung by rung to their goal.
By the way: At the end of this post, I have a small gift for you. Stay tuned. Or rather: Stay at the keys.
How do major scales sound?
When you play through the major scales, how does that sound to you?
Exactly! Everything sounds so harmonious. So positive. So full.
And because people like harmonious-sounding music, the most famous pop and rock songs are usually based on major scales.
What is the difference between major and minor scales?
Major scales sound cheerful. And minor scales?
Minor tonality is characterized by a sad and melancholic sound. Minor keys are therefore mostly found in sad songs, such as ballads, or in country music.
But not only the sound of minor scales is different from that of major scales. Their structure is also different. Here, the third and sixth notes are each lowered by a semitone.
In minor scales, the semitones are always between the 2nd and 3rd as well as between the 5th and 6th notes.
Improvisation with Major Scales
Now that you know how a major scale is constructed, you can start improvising. Grab a major scale of your choice. Play it up and down. Play it at different tempos, at different volumes. And vary the order of the notes – or omit individual keys. You will see: What you do here will always sound good, as long as you stay within the key.
Free Workshop for You
Are you hooked now? I understand that well. I also love to really let loose within the individual major scales.
If you want to get even more skill out of yourself, you now have the unique opportunity to register for my piano workshop. It is completely free for you and introduces you to the world of intuitive music-making. Major keys play a very special role in this. You’ll see.
I look forward to seeing you!
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Play Piano by Intuition
Master Keys Without Sheet Music
With the new turbo training, you'll be proficient in every key signature within just a few weeks.
(no knowledge of sheet music required)
