Fundamentals
The Major Scale Formula: Whole and Half Steps Explained
The major scale is seven notes spaced whole, whole, half, whole, whole, whole, half. Here is the formula, four scales built from it, and the sharps and flats it forces.
Major scale
A seven-note scale with the pattern whole, whole, half, whole, whole, whole, half, which is the basis of major keys.
Also called: Ionian mode, major key scale
The major scale is a seven-note scale with the step pattern whole, whole, half, whole, whole, whole, half. Starting on C, it gives C D E F G A B C with no sharps or flats. Starting on G, the same pattern needs an F♯ to keep the half step between the seventh and eighth degrees: G A B C D E F♯ G. Each major scale has a key signature determined by its tonic. The major third above the tonic defines the major triad, so the major scale is the source of the major intervals used in major chords and seventh chords.
Related terms
- TetrachordA group of four consecutive notes spanning a perfect fourth, which two of such groups combine to form a major scale.
- Key signatureThe sharps or flats written after the clef that set which notes are altered throughout a piece unless cancelled.
- Minor scaleA family of seven-note scales with a minor third above the tonic, existing in natural, harmonic and melodic forms.
- Whole step (whole tone)An interval of two semitones, equal to two half steps, such as C to D or F to G.
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Fundamentals
Key Signatures and the Order of Sharps and Flats
Sharps arrive in the order F C G D A E B and flats in reverse. The order is the circle of fifths written out, one signature at a time.