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Major Scales

There are two types of Major Scale:

1. Diatonic Major Scales (7 Notes)
and
2. Pentatonic Major Scales (5 Notes)

Let's take a moment to describe each...

• Diatonic Major Scales - These are the type that people are usually referring to when they use the term "Major Scale". They each contain seven Notes.

Each Major Scale also has a corresponding "Key Signature". This is a set of Sharps (♯) or Flats (♭) at the beginning of a Staff that shows what Major or minor Key that the piece of music is in.

The use of Sharps and Flats means that a few Scales have the exact same Notes within them, but they are "spelled" differently from one another. For example, notice that D♭ is the exact same Note as C♯. Therefore, D♭ Major is the exact same Scale as C♯ Major. These are called "Enharmonic Keys".

• Pentatonic Major Scales - Each of these Scales contain five Notes and exist inside of a corresponding Diatonic Major Scale. We don't refer to these separately as often, but they are important to be aware of because many Melodies tend to home in on these Notes.

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On the following pages:

• Pentatonic Major Scales are shown in red.

• Key Signatures are shown on the bottom of each page, along with Enharmonic, Relative, and Parallel Keys whenever appropriate.

• The string of numbers show how to play that Scale on a piano (with each hand over the span of two Octaves). "1" means to use your thumb, "2" means to use your index finger, and so on. These are called Piano Fingerings.

Scales are listed below by increasing numbers of Sharps and Flats...

♮

• C

♯

• G
• D
• A
• E
• B
• F♯
• C♯

♭

• F
• B♭
• E♭
• A♭
• D♭
• G♭
• C♭