What is a Major Scale? Music Lessons

Welcome to the second video in my ongoing series covering music theory. Last time we covered the smallest Musical Intervals (both half steps and whole steps). If you haven’t watched that video I highly recommend it as it is really a precursor to this video.

Here are a few quick notes when it comes to major scales:

– Major scales are simply a series of half steps and whole steps.

– All the notes are whole steps except between the 3rd and 4th notes and the 7th and 8th notes (which are half steps).

– They contain 8 notes, wherein the first and the last notes are the same.

– They include all the letter names in order without repeating any. (They are built diatonically.)

– For example, if you have an A-major scale you will have some form of A B C D E F G A.

– C-major scale contains C D E F G A B C.

– All major scales have either sharps or flats; never both (except for C-major which has no sharps or flats.)

On the video attached to this article I demonstrate the structure of the C major scale on the piano keyboard.

Using the rules I outlined above, you can figure out the notes of any major scale; it is actually extremely simple!

Next time we will be discussing relative minor scales – which are a bit more complex. Thanks again for joining me Robert Estrin Robert@LivingPianos.com (949) 244-3729