The major scale is the most basic scale of Western music. Every major scale has eight notes in a row (seven different notes, then the octave) and follows the same pattern of steps: whole step, whole step, half step, whole step, whole step, whole step, half step (UK: tone, tone, semitone, tone, tone, tone, semitone). Start that pattern on any note and you get the major scale of that note. On this page we call it the natural major scale to tell it apart from the variants that change one or two of its notes: the harmonic major, Mixolydian and melodic major scales. Each of the seven notes is a scale degree with its own name and function (tonic, dominant, leading tone...).
A scale can be written in two ways: with the accidentals written next to the notes inside the scale, or with a key signature at the start of the staff (UK: stave). Both ways sound the same. Exercises usually ask for one of them, so practice both.
All 15 natural major scales
Fifteen major keys are usually written out: C major (no accidentals), seven keys with sharps and seven keys with flats. The last column shows the key signature.
| Scale | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | Accidentals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C major | C | D | E | F | G | A | B | None |
| G major | G | A | B | C | D | E | F♯ | 1♯: F♯ |
| D major | D | E | F♯ | G | A | B | C♯ | 2♯: F♯ C♯ |
| A major | A | B | C♯ | D | E | F♯ | G♯ | 3♯: F♯ C♯ G♯ |
| E major | E | F♯ | G♯ | A | B | C♯ | D♯ | 4♯: F♯ C♯ G♯ D♯ |
| B major | B | C♯ | D♯ | E | F♯ | G♯ | A♯ | 5♯: F♯ C♯ G♯ D♯ A♯ |
| F♯ major | F♯ | G♯ | A♯ | B | C♯ | D♯ | E♯ | 6♯: F♯ C♯ G♯ D♯ A♯ E♯ |
| C♯ major | C♯ | D♯ | E♯ | F♯ | G♯ | A♯ | B♯ | 7♯: F♯ C♯ G♯ D♯ A♯ E♯ B♯ |
| F major | F | G | A | B♭ | C | D | E | 1♭: B♭ |
| B♭ major | B♭ | C | D | E♭ | F | G | A | 2♭: B♭ E♭ |
| E♭ major | E♭ | F | G | A♭ | B♭ | C | D | 3♭: B♭ E♭ A♭ |
| A♭ major | A♭ | B♭ | C | D♭ | E♭ | F | G | 4♭: B♭ E♭ A♭ D♭ |
| D♭ major | D♭ | E♭ | F | G♭ | A♭ | B♭ | C | 5♭: B♭ E♭ A♭ D♭ G♭ |
| G♭ major | G♭ | A♭ | B♭ | C♭ | D♭ | E♭ | F | 6♭: B♭ E♭ A♭ D♭ G♭ C♭ |
| C♭ major | C♭ | D♭ | E♭ | F♭ | G♭ | A♭ | B♭ | 7♭: B♭ E♭ A♭ D♭ G♭ C♭ F♭ |
Accidentals written inside the scale
Keys with sharps
G Major Scale
D Major Scale
A Major Scale
E Major Scale
B Major Scale
F♯ Major Scale
C♯ Major Scale
Keys with flats
F Major Scale
B♭ Major Scale
E♭ Major Scale
A♭ Major Scale
D♭ Major Scale
G♭ Major Scale
C♭ Major Scale
Accidentals in the key signature
Keys with sharps
G Major Scale
D Major Scale
A Major Scale
E Major Scale
B Major Scale
F♯ Major Scale
C♯ Major Scale
Keys with flats
F Major Scale
B♭ Major Scale
E♭ Major Scale
A♭ Major Scale
D♭ Major Scale
G♭ Major Scale
C♭ Major Scale
Order of the keys with sharps
- G major has 1 sharp.
- D major has 2 sharps.
- A major has 3 sharps.
- E major has 4 sharps.
- B major has 5 sharps.
- F♯ major has 6 sharps.
- C♯ major has 7 sharps.
Each new key with sharps is found by going up a perfect 5th from the previous tonic, starting on C (C, G, D, A, E, B, F♯, C♯). It adds one sharp, always on the new leading tone.
Order of the keys with flats
- F major has 1 flat.
- B♭ major has 2 flats.
- E♭ major has 3 flats.
- A♭ major has 4 flats.
- D♭ major has 5 flats.
- G♭ major has 6 flats.
- C♭ major has 7 flats.
Each new key with flats is found by going down a perfect 5th from the previous tonic, starting on C (C, F, B♭, E♭, A♭, D♭, G♭, C♭). It adds one flat. Three pairs of keys sound the same although they are written differently (B major and C♭ major, F♯ major and G♭ major, C♯ major and D♭ major); this is an example of enharmony.