Major Scales Workshop #1

By Hear & Play Team

September 5

major scales

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Well, let’s get to work!

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Piano Lessons Workshop #1: Major Scales (i)

In music, there is a pattern for everything! I’m going to teach you the pattern used to create major scales.

First, let’s start with the basics. There are 12 major scales; one for every major key on the piano

You have the white keys:

C major
D major
E major
F major
G major
A major
B major

… and then you have the black keys (called “sharps” or “flats”):

C Sharp or D flat
D Sharp or E flat
F Sharp or G flat
G Sharp or A flat
A Sharp or B flat

Today, we will learn how to form the following major scales:

(1) C Major Scale
(2) D Major Scale
(3) E Major Scale
(4) F Major Scale
(5) G Major Scale
(6) A Major Scale

In order to form major scales, you have to understand the concept of “whole steps and half steps.” I have a free piano lesson on “whole and half step intervals” at: https://www.hearandplay.com/p2abc3xkpt.html

… but for the sake of this e-mail lesson, I will recap:

Whole steps and half steps describe distance in music. That is, the distance in notes from one key to another.

————-
Whole Step
————-

A “whole” step always skips a key…

————-
Half Step
————-

A “half” step never skips a key…

Remember this poem:

“A half step is from KEY TO KEY with NO keys in between,
A whole step always SKIPS a key with one key in between”

EXAMPLES:

“D” is 1 whole step higher than “C”

Why? Because if you start at C and “skip” a key, you’ll arrive at “D”. What key are you skipping? Let’s see:

C — (skip C#) — D

However, “C#” is 1 half step higher than “C”

Why? Because you are NOT skipping any keys to go from “C” to “C#.”

So essentially:

1 Whole Step = 2 keys
1 Half Step = 1 key

More examples:

C to D = 1 whole step
C to E = 2 whole steps

… and so on.

(Whole Step = “w” *** Half Step = “h”)

The Major Scale pattern is as follow:

w – w – h – w – w – w – h

Just remember: “Why Won’t He Wear White When Hot” (I made it up… based on a true statement said to me by my wife!)

This means:

1. From the starting note, the second note will be 1 (w)hole step higher.

2. From the second note, the third note will be another whole step higher.

3. From the third note, the fourth note will be a (h)alf step higher.

4. From the fourth note, the fifth note will be a whole step higher.

5. From the fifth tone, the sixth note will be a whole step higher.

6. From the sixth tone, the seventh tone will also be a whole step higher.

7. From the seventh tone, the last tone will be only a half step higher.

In C major:

1. The starting note is “C”
2. 1 whole step up is “D” (w)
3. Another whole step up is “E” (w)
4. 1 half step up is “F” (h)
5. 1 whole step up is “G” (w)
6. Another whole step up is “A” (w)
7. Another whole step up is “B” (w)
8. 1 half step up is “C” (h)

Exercise:

Repeat these 8 steps with the following major scales. The answers are listed below:

2) D major
3) E major
4) F major
5) G major
6) A major

————————–

D major:

1) Starting note = ______
2) 1 whole step up = ______
3) 1 whole step up = ______
4) 1 half step up = _____
5) 1 whole step up = ______
6) 1 whole step up = ______
7) 1 whole step up = ______
8) 1 half step up = ______

E major:

F major:

G major:

A major:

———————————-

Note: Remember, in major scales, each note is played separately. Only in chords are more than 2 notes played at the same time.

Scales = play each note separately
Chords = play all notes together

Here are the answers:

D major

D – E – F# – G – A – B – C# – D

E major

E – F# – G# – A – B – C# – D# – E