Basic Chord Theory
The Major ScaleThe Diving Board
I like to think of the major scale as the ‘diving board into the pool of chord theory’. So much information can be drawn from a major scale:
- key note signatures (of less importance to guitar players)
- chord families – which chords belong in the key of the scale
- the chord formulas for chord variations
What is a Major Scale?
A major scale is made up of 8 notes. The notes when played in sequence sound like “DO RE MI FA SO LA TI DO”. The key of C is built off the C major scale, the key of G is built from the G major scale, etc. The notes of the C major scale are: C – D – E – F – G – A – B – C (notice there are no sharps or flats in the key of C).
We can number each of these notes 1 through 8.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
C D E F G A B C
An important observation to make here is the interval (or spacing) between each numbered note. I’ll use “w” to represent a whole step, and “h” to represent a half step. So the interval between the numbered notes in the major scale could be represented like this:
1 w 2 w 3 h 4 w 5 w 6 w 7 h 8
Or you could say there are whole steps between all of the notes except between 3 & 4, and 7 & 8. If we follow this pattern, we can “build” the major scale in any key. Look at the following chart:
A Major Scale Chart
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
G A B C D E F# G D E F# G A B C# D A B C# D E F# G# A E F# G# A B C# D# E F G A Bb C D E F
There are a couple of important things to note in the chart above. In each key, between notes 3 & 4 and 7 & 8 there are half steps. Between all the other numbered notes, there are whole steps. Also, note that each letter A through G are represented in each scale. In the key of G we don’t go from E to Gb because we would skip “F”. Likewise, in the key of F, we don’t go from A to A# because we would not be notating B anywhere in the scale. Also, notes 1 and 8 are always the same, only an “octave” apart in pitch.
For a complete list of the major scales in PDF format, click here: Major Scale Sheet.
Hi David,
Why it seems that “1 w 2 w 3 h 4 w 5 w 6 w 7 h 8” rule does not make any sense in the key of F? If I apply this rule in the key of F, it goes like this: F-G-A-A#-Bb-C#-D#-Eb?
Actually it does work: F w G w A h Bb w C w D w E h F. A# and Bb are the same note/tone, it is called Bb in the key of F. Also the interval between Bb and C is a whole step (B is a half up from Bb, and C is a half up from B. Two halves make a whole.) Does this help?
Many people find it helpful to think of a piano when they learn there is no such thing as E#/Fb or B#/Cb, the only white keys without a black key between them, so just a half step.
Excellent point! That’s what I’ve done a lot of times.
Hello David, thank you for posting this information. As a beginner, there is something I don’t understand, hopefully you can clarify… You state “An important observation to make here is the interval (or spacing) between each numbered note…. 1 w 2 w 3 h 4 w 5 w 6 w 7 h 8.” But when I look at the key of C, I see C D E F G A B C. This looks to me like whole steps between each note. I apparently don’t understand the concept of the whole step vs. the half step. Please explain.
Hi Larry, Don’t be confused by B & C and E & F notes. There is only one half step between B and C, and one half step between E and F. There are no sharps/flats between B & C, and between E & F, so they are half steps apart. A half step is an interval from one note to the next on the chromatic scale: A A# B C C# D D# E F F# G G# A… The interval between each pair of those side-by-side notes is a half step. From A to A# is a half step, A# to B is a half, B to C is a half, and so on.
Thanks for your comments and question.
David
actually theres flats on B and E
What exactly do you mean?
I think this is best visualized by looking at the piano keyboard.
There are no keys (i.e. black keys) between B and C and E and F. All twelve keys (white and black) in an octave are a half step apart from the previous and next key.
Hello there, I wonder why isn’t there a key of B major?
There is a B major scale. I just put down some of the common ones on this page. B major scale: B C# D# E F# G# A# B.