Fundamentals
12 Major Scales, Scale Degrees, and Key Signatures
Chelsey Hamm and Bryn Hughes
Key Takeaways
- A major scale is an ordered collection of half- and whole-steps with the ascending succession W-W-H-W-W-W-H.
- Major scales are named for their first note, which is also their last note. Be sure to include any accidentals that apply to this note in its name.
- Scale degrees are solmization syllables notated by Arabic numerals with carets (angled brackets) above them. The scale degrees are [latex]\hat{1}[/latex], [latex]\hat{2}[/latex], [latex]\hat{3}[/latex], [latex]\hat{4}[/latex], [latex]\hat{5}[/latex], [latex]\hat{6}[/latex], and [latex]\hat{7}[/latex].
- Solfège solmization syllables are another method of naming notes in a major scale. The syllables are do, re, mi, fa, sol, la, and ti.
- Each note of a major scale is also named with scale-degree names. The first note of a major scale is called the tonic; the second note, the supertonic, followed by the mediant, subdominant, dominant, submediant, and leading tone.
- A key signature, consisting of either sharps or flats, appears at the beginning of a composition, after a clef but before a time signature.
- The order of sharps in key signatures is F, C, G, D, A, E, and B, while the order of flats is the opposite: B, E, A, D, G, C, F. In sharp key signatures, the last sharp is a half-step below the tonic (the first note of a scale). In flat key signatures, the second-to-last flat is the tonic.
- The circle of fifths is a convenient visual for remembering major key signatures. All of the major key signatures are placed on a circle, in order of number of accidentals.
A scale is an ordered collection of half- and whole-steps (see Half- and Whole-steps and Accidentals to review half- and whole-steps).
Major Scales
A major scale is an ordered collection of half- (abbreviated H) and whole-steps (abbreviated W) in the following ascending succession: W-W-H-W-W-W-H. Listen to to hear a major scale, ascending:
In octave apart. In the first note is C and the last note is C. Major scales are named for their first and last note. depicts a C major scale because its first and last note is a C.
the whole-steps are labeled with square brackets (and Ws), and the half-steps are labeled with angled brackets (and Hs). A major scale always starts and ends on notes of the same letter name, which should be anAlways be sure to include the accidental of the first and last note when you name a scale.
shows this:
The first and last note in
is a B♭. Therefore is a B♭ (B-flat) major scale. You must say and write the flat, because B is different from the note B♭. Note that the pattern of half- and whole-steps is the same in every major scale, as shown in and .Scale Degrees, Solfège, and Scale-degree Names
Musicians name the notes of major scales in several different ways. Scale degrees are solmization syllables notated by Arabic numerals with carets, angled brackets, above them. The first note of a scale is [latex]\hat