Piano Scale and The Major Scale

The MAJOR SCALE has a pattern of whole steps and half steps on an octave. There are five whole steps and two half steps in a major scale.

THE C MAJOR SCALE HAS ALL WHITE KEYS.

The notes are C D E F G A B C

The MAJOR SCALE pattern is

whole step-whole-half-whole-whole-whole-half

or

wwh-wwwh

From any white piano key to a black key is a half step. From any black key to a white piano key is a half step.

REMEMBER

A whole step has two half steps or a piano key is found between the two other keys.

There is a half step between the white keys E to F and B to C.

Take C to D

C to D whole step

There is a black key between the two white keys

Two half steps equal a whole step

From D to E whole step

From E to F two adjacent white keys a half step

From F to G whole step

From G to A whole step

From A to B whole step

From B to C two adjacent white keys a half step

There is the pattern wwh-wwwh from C to C octave

Every white piano key has a black key between it except for the following keys.

From E to F two adjacent white keys From B to C two adjacent white keys

You can see this by looking at middle C and go down a note to B.

B is a white key.

From B to C is a half step. From E to F is a half step.

YOU CAN USE THE WWH-WWWH PATTERN TO FIND THE NOTES OF ANY MAJOR KEY.

Take the key of G major.

From G to A whole step From A to B whole step

From B to C half step two adjacent white keys From C to D whole step

From D to E whole step

From E to F# whole step As the interval from the 6th note to the 7th note has to be a whole step, and E to F is a half step, you have to go up another half step from F to F#.

NOTE: to go up a whole step from E you have to go two half steps

E to F a half step E to F# a whole step

From F# to G half step

For the G major scale you have the following notes

G A B C D E F# G

The only difference between the G major scale and the C major scale is the F#.

There is one sharp note F# in the G major scale.

Next lesson is the Key Signatures