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List of Major Scales

When you arrange music notes in a certain order, you create a scale. When you arrange eight notes in ascending order so that the respective notes used are two whole (tonal) steps, a half step, three whole steps and a half step from one another as you move up the scale, you've created a major scale. To create that pattern, most scales require a musician to use flats and sharps. A flat (♭) lowers a note a half step, while a sharp (♯) raises a note by a half step.
  1. C Major Scale

    • The C scale doesn't require any flats or sharps. It starts on the note C, then continues upward to D, E, F, G, A, B and C.

    F Major Scale

    • F Major uses one flat. The notes of the scale are: F, G, A, B♭, C, D, E and F.

    B♭ Major Scale

    • The B♭ Major scale uses two flats, B♭ and E♭. The notes are B♭, C, D, E♭, F, G, A and B♭.

    E♭ Major Scale

    • E♭ Major has three flats, B♭, E♭ and A♭. After the first E♭, the notes are F, G, A♭, B♭, C, D and E♭.

    A♭ Major Scale

    • There are four flats in A♭ Major: B♭, E♭and A♭, plus D♭. The note are A♭, B♭, C, D♭, E♭, F, G and A♭.

    D♭ Major Scale and C♯ Major

    • D♭ Major has five flats, the same as those in A♭ Major, as well as G♭. This scale is D♭, E♭, F, G♭, A♭, B♭, C, D♭. The sounds these notes make are identical to those of C♯ Major, where every note is written as a sharp: C♯, D♯, E♯, F♯ G♯, A♯, B♯, C♯.

    G♭ Major Scale and F♯ Major Scale

    • Every note is flat except for F in G♭ Major: G♭, A♭, B♭, C♭, D♭, E♭, F, G♭. This scale sounds exactly like F♯ Major: F♯, G♯, A♯, B, C♯, D♯, E♯, F♯. On a piano you'd be able to see you're actually hitting the same keys for corresponding notes, for instance, to play C♭, you hit the key for B.

    G Major Scale

    • G Major has one sharp, the F♯. This scale goes G, A, B, C, D, E, F♯ and G.

    D Major Scale

    • D Major has two sharps, F♯ and C♯. D Major runs D, E, F♯, G, A, B, C♯ and D.

    A Major Scale

    • A Major uses an F♯, C♯ and G♯. The notes are A, B, C♯, D, E, F♯, G♯ and A.

    E Major Scale

    • E Major uses F♯, C♯, G♯ and D♯. It runs E, F♯, G♯, A, B, C♯, D♯, E.

    B Major Scale and C♭Major Scale

    • B Major has five sharps, those used in E Major, plus A♯. B Major goes B, C♯, D♯, E, F♯, G♯, A♯ and B. The C♭ Major scale sounds just like it, but is written to start with C♭instead of B: C♭, D♭, E♭, F♭, G♭, A♭, B♭, C♭. Notice every note is flat.

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