Major Scales are the foundation that music is built from. Both chords and melodies come from scales. The key for a piece of music comes from scales. Chord progressions are, in many ways, develop from their relationship to the scale and key center.
There are 12 different notes in Western music so there are 12 Major Scales. Minor scales developed as variations, or contrasts, to Major Scales.
The history of the major scale can be traced back to ancient Greece, where philosophers and musicians studied the mathematical relationships between pitches. The major scale evolved from the diatonic scale systems developed by the ancient Greeks, which included modes like Dorian, Phrygian, and Lydian. In Modes, the Major Scale is called an Ionian mode.
The formula for Major Scales is useful as technical knowledge but not necessarily in practical application.
C Major- C D E F G A B C F Major- F G A Bb C D E F G Major- G A B C D E F# G Bb Major- Bb C D Eb F G A Bb D Major- D E F# G A B C# D Eb Major- Eb F G Ab Bb C D Eb A Major- A B C D E F# G# A Ab Major- Ab Bb C Db Eb F G Ab E Major- E F# G# A B C# D# E Db Major- Db Eb F Gb Ab Bb C Db B Major- B C# D# E F# G# A# B Gb Major- Gb Ab Bb Cb Db Eb F Gb
MAJOR SCALES (PIANO FINGERINGS) RH 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 LH 5 4 3 2 1 3 2 1 KEY: C C D E F G A B C G G A B C D E F# G D D E F# G A B C# D A A B C# D E F# G# A E E F# G# A B C# D# E
(out of order purposely) RH 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 LH 5 4 3 2 1 3 2 1 KEY: F C D E F G A Bb C Bb C D Eb F G A Bb C Eb C D Eb F G Ab Bb C Ab C Db Eb F G Ab Bb C Db C Db Eb F Gb Ab Bb C (a "better" LH fingering is 4 3 2 1 4 3 2 1) Gb Cb Db Eb F Gb Ab Bb Cb (a "better" LH fingering is 4 3 2 1 4 3 2 1) RH 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 LH 4 3 2 1 4 3 2 1 B B C# D# E F# G# A# B
