The major scale
Seven notes in the pattern W W H W W W H, the yardstick for almost every other scale and chord.
Essential
Content under musical review. It may contain inaccuracies.
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Seven notes in the pattern W W H W W W H, the yardstick for almost every other scale and chord.
Essential
The major scale is the reference scale of Western tonal music. It has seven notes and a stable, bright sound. Whenever a formula says "b3" or "#4", it is comparing against this scale.
The G major scale, up and down:
Hear how the seventh degree, F♯, seems to "ask" to land on G. Now stop on it and feel the tension:
The pattern is always W W H W W W H (whole, whole, half, whole, whole, whole, half). The half steps fall between degrees 3–4 and 7–1:
String 6, Open: E2 · 6 · Scale tone
| Scale or mode | Formula | Steps |
|---|---|---|
| Major (Ionian) | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 | W-W-H-W-W-W-H |
| Natural minor (Aeolian) | 1 2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7 | W-H-W-W-H-W-W |
| Harmonic minor | 1 2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 7 | W-H-W-W-H-W½-H |
| Melodic minor | 1 2 ♭3 4 5 6 7 | W-H-W-W-W-W-H |
| Major pentatonic | 1 2 3 5 6 | W-W-W½-W-W½ |
| Minor pentatonic | 1 ♭3 4 5 ♭7 | W½-W-W-W½-W |
| Minor blues | 1 ♭3 4 ♭5 5 ♭7 | W½-W-H-H-W½-W |
| Dorian | 1 2 ♭3 4 5 6 ♭7 | W-H-W-W-W-H-W |
| Phrygian | 1 ♭2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7 | H-W-W-W-H-W-W |
| Lydian | 1 2 3 ♯4 5 6 7 | W-W-W-H-W-W-H |
| Mixolydian | 1 2 3 4 5 6 ♭7 | W-W-H-W-W-H-W |
| Locrian | 1 ♭2 ♭3 4 ♭5 ♭6 ♭7 | H-W-W-H-W-W-W |
| Whole tone | 1 2 3 ♯4 ♯5 ♯6 | W-W-W-W-W-W |
| Diminished half-whole | 1 ♭2 ♭3 3 ♯4 5 6 ♭7 | H-W-H-W-H-W-H-W |
A one-octave fingering from the sixth string, fret 3:
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 6th | 3 – 5 | G A |
| 5th | 2 – 3 – 5 | B C D |
| 4th | 2 – 4 – 5 | E F♯ G |
Play it slowly, then move the same shape up two frets: now it's A major. The pattern stays; only the tonic moves.
See the scale across the neckEvery degree has a name and a role:
| Degree | Name | In G major |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | tonic | G |
| 2 | supertonic | A |
| 3 | mediant | B |
| 4 | subdominant | C |
| 5 | dominant | D |
| 6 | submediant | E |
| 7 | leading tone | F♯ |
These notes build the seven chords of the key: G, Am, Bm, C, D, Em and F♯dim. Most of the melodies, chords and solos in a G major tune come from here.
To spell any major scale, use each letter once and adjust accidentals to fit the pattern. In F sharp major that forces you to write E♯ as the seventh degree: F♯ G♯ A♯ B C♯ D♯ E♯.
Running the scale up and down isn't enough to use it. Practise groups of three or four notes (1-2-3, 2-3-4, 3-4-5…) and thirds (1-3, 2-4, 3-5…). Sequences force you to know where every note is, and they sound far more musical than a straight run.
Scales, arpeggios & fretboardScale sequencesPlay melodic patterns (thirds, groups…) to master the scale in one position.The major scale splits into two identical tetrachords (W W H) a whole step apart: G–C and D–G. The upper tetrachord of G major is the lower one of D major, which only adds one sharp (C♯). That's the logic of the circle of fifths: keys a fifth apart share six notes and change one.
The tritone between the fourth and seventh degrees (C and F♯) is the only one in the scale. It drives the dominant: in D7 those two notes tend to resolve to B and G.