Major scale

The major scale (or Ionian mode) is one of the most commonly used musical scales, especially in
Western music. It is one of the diatonic scales. Like many musical scales, it is made up of seven
notes: the eighth duplicates the first at double its frequency so that it is called a higher octave of
the same note (from Latin "octavus", the eighth).

Major scale

Modes I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII

Component pitches

C, D, E, F, G, A, B

Qualities

Number of pitch classes 7

Maximal evenness

Forte number 7-35

Complement 5-35

Major scales beginning with white

keys

The simplest major scale to write is C major, the only major scale not requiring sharps or flats:

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The major scale has a central importance in Western music, particularly that of the common
practice period and in popular music.
In Carnatic music, it is known as Sankarabharanam. In Hindustani classical music, it is known as
Bilaval.

Structure

The pattern of whole and half steps

characteristic of a major scale

The intervals from the tonic (keynote) in an upward direction to the second, to the
third, to the sixth, and to the seventh scale degrees of a major scale are called
major.[1]

A major scale is a diatonic scale. The sequence of intervals between the notes of a major scale is:

whole, whole, half, whole, whole, whole, half

where "whole" stands for a whole tone (a red u-shaped curve in the figure), and "half" stands for a
semitone (a red angled line in the figure).[2]

Whole steps and half steps are explained mathematically in a related article, Twelfth root of two.
Notably, an equal-tempered octave has twelve half steps (semitones) spaced equally in terms of
the sound frequency ratio. The sound frequency doubles for corresponding notes from one octave
to the next. The ratio is 3/2 = 1.5 for a perfect fifth, for example from C to G on a major scale, and
5/4 = 1.25 for a major third, for example from C to E.

A major scale may be seen as two identical tetrachords separated by a whole tone. Each tetrachord
consists of two whole tones followed by a semitone (i.e. whole, whole, half).

The major scale is maximally even.

Scale degrees

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The scale degrees are:

 1st: Tonic

2nd: Supertonic

3rd: Mediant

4th: Subdominant

5th: Dominant

6th: Submediant

7th: Leading tone

8th: Tonic

Triad qualities

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The triads built on each scale degree follow a distinct pattern. The roman numeral analysis is
shown in parentheses.

1st: Major triad (I)

2nd: minor triad (ii)

3rd: minor triad (iii)

4th: Major triad (IV)

5th: Major triad (V)

6th: minor triad (vi)

7th: diminished triad (viio)

Seventh chord qualities

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The seventh chords built on each scale degree follow a distinct pattern. The roman numeral
analysis is shown in parentheses.

1st: Major seventh chord (IM7)

2nd: minor seventh chord (ii7)

3rd: minor seventh chord (iii7)

4th: Major seventh chord (IVM7)

5th: Dominant seventh chord (V7)

6th: minor seventh chord (vi7)

7th: half-diminished seventh chord (viiø7)

Relationship to major keys

If a piece of music (or part of a piece of music) is in a major key, then the notes in the
corresponding major scale are considered diatonic notes, while the notes outside the major scale
are considered chromatic notes. Moreover, the key signature of the piece of music (or section) will
generally reflect the accidentals in the corresponding major scale.

♭ major, then the seven pitches in the E♭ major scale (E♭,

For instance, if a piece of music is in E
F, G, A♭, B♭, C and D) are considered diatonic pitches, and the other five pitches (E♮, F♯/G♭,
A♮, B♮, and C♯/D♭) are considered chromatic pitches. In this case, the key signature will have
three flats (B♭, E♭, and A♭).

The figure below shows all 12 relative major and minor keys, with major keys on the outside and
minor keys on the inside arranged around the circle of fifths.

The numbers inside the circle show the number of sharps or flats in the key signature, with the
sharp keys going clockwise, and the flat keys counterclockwise from C major (which has no sharps
or flats.) The circular arrangement depends on enharmonic relationships in the circle, usually
♯ = G♭ and D♯ = E♭ for minor keys.
reckoned at six sharps or flats for the major keys of F [3]

Seven sharps or flats make major keys (C♯ major or C♭ major) that may be more conveniently
spelled with five flats or sharps (as D♭ major or B major).

Broader sense
The term "major scale" is also used in the names of some other scales whose first, third, and fifth
degrees form a major triad.

The harmonic major scale[4][5] has a minor sixth. It differs from the harmonic minor scale only by
raising the third degree.

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The melodic major scale is the combined scale that goes as Ionian ascending and as Aeolian
dominant descending. It differs from melodic minor scale only by raising the third degree to a
major third.[6]

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The double harmonic major scale[7] has a minor second and a minor sixth. It is the fifth mode of the
Hungarian minor scale.

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See also

Ionian mode

Major and minor

References

1. Benward, Bruce & Saker, Marilyn (2003). Music: In Theory and Practice, Vol. I, p.52. Seventh Edition.
ISBN 978-0-07-294262-0.

2. "Major scale | music" (https://www.britannica.com/art/major-scale) .

 3. Drabkin, William (2001). "Circle of Fifths". In Sadie, Stanley; Tyrrell, John (eds.). The New Grove Dictionary
of Music and Musicians (2nd ed.). London: Macmillan Publishers.

4. Rimsky-Korsakov, Nikolai (2005). Practical Manual of Harmony. Carl Fischer, LLC. ISBN 978-0-8258-5699-0.

5. Tymoczko, Dmitri (2011). "Chapter 4". A Geometry of Music. New York: Oxford.

6. "Musicstudents.com - Free Sheet Music and Play-Along Soundfiles" (https://web.archive.org/web/20140

311205933/http://www.musicstudents.com/archive01/093.html) . Archived from the original (http://w
ww.musicstudents.com/archive01/093.html) on 2014-03-11. Retrieved 2014-03-13.

7. Stetina, Troy (1999). The Ultimate Scale Book. p. 59. ISBN 0-7935-9788-9.

Further reading

Bower, Michael (2007). "All about Key Signatures" (https://web.archive.org/web/20100311182612/http://w

ww.empire.k12.ca.us/capistrano/mike/capmusic/key%20signatures/key_signatures.htm) . Modesto, CA:
Capistrano School (K–12) website. Archived from the original (http://www.empire.k12.ca.us/capistrano/Mik
e/capmusic/Key%20Signatures/key_signatures.htm) on 11 March 2010. Retrieved 17 March 2010.

Jones, George Thaddeus (1974). Music Theory: The Fundamental Concepts of Tonal Music Including Notation,
Terminology, and Harmony (https://archive.org/details/musictheory00jone) . Barnes & Noble Outline Series
137. New York: Barnes & Noble. ISBN 9780064601375.

Kennedy, Michael (1994). "Key-Signature". In Bourne, Joyce (ed.). Oxford Dictionary of Music (2nd ed.).
Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-869162-9.

Yamaguchi, Masaya (2006). The Complete Thesaurus of Musical Scales (Revised ed.). New York: Masaya
Music Services. ISBN 0-9676353-0-6.

External links

Listen to and download harmonised Major scale piano MP3s (http://www.youraccompanist.co

m/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=62&Itemid=104)

Major scales explained on a virtual piano (https://www.apronus.com/music/lessons/major-scale

s)

Interactive Piano Reference to Major Scales (https://muted.io/major-minor-scales/)

History of the Major Scale (https://musiktheorie.volker-schubert.org/History%20of%20the%20Ma

jor%20Scale.html)