HearmonyThe Major Scale: Formula, All 12 Keys and How It Sounds
A major scale is a seven-note scale built with the step pattern whole, whole, half, whole, whole, whole, half (W W H W W W H). Starting on C, that pattern gives C D E F G A B C, the white keys of the piano. Sung, it is the familiar do re mi fa sol la ti do, and the same pattern from any starting note gives that note's major scale.
What is the major scale formula?
The major scale formula is W W H W W W H, where W is a whole step (two half steps) and H is a half step (the smallest step on a keyboard, from one key to the very next one, black or white). In semitones that is 2 2 1 2 2 2 1, which adds up to 12, one full octave.
| From | To | Step | Semitones |
|---|---|---|---|
| C (1) | D (2) | Whole | 2 |
| D (2) | E (3) | Whole | 2 |
| E (3) | F (4) | Half | 1 |
| F (4) | G (5) | Whole | 2 |
| G (5) | A (6) | Whole | 2 |
| A (6) | B (7) | Whole | 2 |
| B (7) | C (8) | Half | 1 |
The half steps always fall between degrees 3–4 and 7–8. On the white keys they land where there is no black key between two white keys: E–F and B–C. If whole and half steps are new to you, the guide to half steps and whole steps shows them on the keyboard.
A handy shortcut: the scale is two identical four-note groups joined by a whole step. C D E F (W W H), then a whole step, then G A B C (W W H). Those four-note groups are called tetrachords, and the upper one of C major is the lower one of G major.
How many notes are in a major scale?
A major scale has seven different notes. When you play it up to the octave you play eight, because the top note repeats the first one an octave higher, which is why the scale is often written 1 to 8.
Each of those seven notes has a number, a name and a solfège syllable: tonic (1, do), supertonic (2, re), mediant (3, mi), subdominant (4, fa), dominant (5, sol), submediant (6, la) and leading tone (7, ti). The scale degree guide explains what each one sounds like against home.
How to build a major scale from any note
To build a major scale, write the seven letter names in order from your starting note, then add sharps or flats until the steps match W W H W W W H. Every letter appears exactly once.
- Write the letters. For E: E F G A B C D E.
- Check each step against the formula. E to F is a half step, but the formula needs a whole step, so raise F to F♯.
- F♯ to G is a half step; the formula needs a whole step (2nd to 3rd), so raise G to G♯.
- Continue: G♯–A is a half step (correct), A–B whole (correct), B–C half but needs whole, so C♯; C♯–D half but needs whole, so D♯; D♯–E half (correct).
- Result: E F♯ G♯ A B C♯ D♯ E. Four sharps, the key signature of E major.
Never skip or repeat a letter. F major is F G A B♭ C D E, not F G A A♯ C D E. A♯ and B♭ are the same key on the piano, but only B♭ keeps one note per letter, and that is what makes the scale readable on the staff.
All 12 major scales
There are 12 different major scales, one on each of the 12 notes of the octave. The table lists them in the order of the circle of fifths, each with its notes and key signature.
| Scale | Notes | Key signature |
|---|---|---|
| C major | C D E F G A B | none |
| G major | G A B C D E F♯ | 1 sharp |
| D major | D E F♯ G A B C♯ | 2 sharps |
| A major | A B C♯ D E F♯ G♯ | 3 sharps |
| E major | E F♯ G♯ A B C♯ D♯ | 4 sharps |
| B major | B C♯ D♯ E F♯ G♯ A♯ | 5 sharps |
| F♯ major | F♯ G♯ A♯ B C♯ D♯ E♯ | 6 sharps |
| D♭ major | D♭ E♭ F G♭ A♭ B♭ C | 5 flats |
| A♭ major | A♭ B♭ C D♭ E♭ F G | 4 flats |
| E♭ major | E♭ F G A♭ B♭ C D | 3 flats |
| B♭ major | B♭ C D E♭ F G A | 2 flats |
| F major | F G A B♭ C D E | 1 flat |
Three of these have a second name that sounds the same: F♯ major is also G♭ major (G♭ A♭ B♭ C♭ D♭ E♭ F, 6 flats), D♭ major is also C♯ major (7 sharps) and B major is also C♭ major (7 flats). That is why you will see 15 major key signatures but only 12 different-sounding scales. The key signatures guide has tricks for naming each one at a glance.
What does the major scale sound like?
The major scale sounds bright and settled, and its top note feels like arriving home. Most of that comes from two features: the major third between 1 and 3 (C–E), and the leading tone a half step below the octave (B–C), which pulls hard into the tonic.
You already know it by ear. "Joy to the World" opens by walking straight down the major scale, do ti la sol fa mi re do. "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" uses six of its seven notes, and "Happy Birthday" ends its first line on ti, which sounds unfinished until a later line lands on do.
Compare it with natural minor on the same note: C D E♭ F G A♭ B♭. Lowering the 3rd, 6th and 7th turns the scale dark. The major vs minor guide covers that difference in chords.
Common mistakes with major scales
- Avoiding E♯ and B♯. F♯ major needs E♯, not F, because F is already taken by F♯. E♯ sounds like F but is spelled on the E line or space.
- Mixing sharps and flats. A major scale uses only sharps or only flats, never both. If your D major has a G♭ in it, a letter went wrong.
- Forgetting the second half step. Many beginners play the 7th a whole step below the octave. Play B♭ instead of B in C major and you hear Mixolydian, not major.
- Thinking of the notes, not the steps. Memorize W W H W W W H and you can build any scale without a chart.
A 5-day major scale practice plan
- Day 1: play C major up and down, singing the degree numbers 1 to 8. Then sing do re mi with it.
- Day 2: build G, D and F major on paper with the formula, then play them.
- Day 3: build A, E, B♭ and E♭ major. Check each against the table.
- Day 4: ear day. Play a C drone, play random notes of the scale over it and name the degree before you check.
- Day 5: self-test. Spell D major, A♭ major and B major from memory. (Answers: D E F♯ G A B C♯; A♭ B♭ C D♭ E♭ F G; B C♯ D♯ E F♯ G♯ A♯.)
Practice the major scale in Hearmony
Hearmony trains the sound of the major scale rather than the fingering. In Home Key Harbor, four chords set a major key, one note plays, and you name it as a scale degree in solfège, starting with do, mi and sol and adding the other degrees one at a time. Melody Meadow has you play short melodies back on an on-screen keyboard, up to full do-to-high-do tunes, and the free Note Reading side quest drills notes on the staff and finding them on the keyboard. All three are part of the path in the beginner ear training plan. Hearmony is an iPhone app, available on the App Store.
For the formal definition and the scale's history, see the reference entry on the major scale.