The major scale is one of the fundamental scales in music and is a great place to start if you’re learning music theory. A major scale is a sequence of 8 notes (7 unique notes, with the 8th repeating the 1st an octave higher) that follow a specific pattern of whole and half steps. Steps are the distances between notes. The major scale follows this specific pattern: Whole, Whole, Half, Whole, Whole, Whole, Half. I like to think of it like a phone number 221-2221. You can apply this pattern to any starting note, and it will create a major scale.

Major scales have a happy or bright sound. They’re common in all types of music and serve as the foundation for understanding other scales and chords.

Natural half steps are B and C and E and F, remember this: Big Cats Eat Fish.

Major intervals

2-2-1-2-2-2-1

Major Chords

M-m-m-M-M-m-d

or

I ii iii IV V vi viid

NumberDegreeIntervalDistanceName
1TonicC to C0Unison
b2 C to Db1Minor second
2SupertonicC to D2Major second
b3 C to Eb3Minor third
3MediantC to E4Major third
4Sub-dominantC to F5Perfect fourth
+4 C to F#6Augmented fourth
-5 C to Gb6Diminished fifth
5DominantC to G7Perfect fifth
+5 C to G#8Augmented fifth
-6 C to Ab8Minor sixth
6Sub-mediantC to A9Major sixth
-7Sub-mediantC to Bbb9Diminished seventh
b7 C to Bb10Minor seventh
7Leading noteC to B11Major seventh
8(1)TonicC to C12Perfect octave
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