Major scales

The major scale is probably the most known of all the scales.

Major scales are scales that have 7 notes and have a specific combination of whole and half steps: W-W-H-W-W-W-H.

Below is the C major scale — the scale following this pattern of Whole and Half steps that starts on C.

If we start on any other note but preserve this combination of half and whole steps, we get other major scales. For example:

Scale degrees

The notes of the scale can be named in several ways — by scale degree numbers, function names and solfege. In this manual we will primarily use scale degree numbers. Scale degree numbers start at 1 and each step (whole or half)/pitch name gets a new number.

Below is a 2-octave C major scale with scale degree numbers. Notice that the numbers keep ascending; they do not restart in the second octave (when the note names restart). They will restart after 15 though!

Unlike the above, scales are usually written from the starting note up only one octave (i.e., until the note names repeat), like our first example above. In this manual, we will notate the scales for one octave, but will wrap around the scale degree numbers, indicating only the 9, 11, and 13 — the most used scale degrees in extended tertian chords (like the chord at the end of the scale).

More on the chord at the end of the scale on the page for Chord Scale Theory.
But first, let’s talk a little about intervals and chords, triads and seventh chords.