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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Major Scale Triads

A Major Scale Triads 1st Inversion 4th String SetE--5--7--9--10--12--14--16--B--5--7--9--10--12--14--15--G--6--7--9--11--13--14--16--D---------------------------A---------------------------E---------------------------A Major Scale Triads 2nd Inversion 4th String SetE--9---10--12--2--4--6--7--B--10--12--14--3--5--7--9--G--9---11--13--2--4--5--7--D--------------------------A--------------------------E--------------------------A Major Scale Triads Root Inversion 4th String SetE--0--2--4--5--7--9---10--B--2--3--5--7--9--10--12--G--2--4--6--7--9--11--13--D-------------------------A-------------------------E-------------------------A Major Triads All StringsE--0--5--9---B--2--5--10--G--2--6--9---D------------A------------E------------E------------B--2--5--10--G--2--6--9---D--2--7--11--A------------E------------E------------B------------G--2--6--9---D--2--7--11--A--4--7--12--E------------E------------B------------G------------D--2--7--11--A--4--7--12--E--5--9--12-- B

Fretboard Notes

You should begin to familiarize yourself with the notes on the fretboard. The following diagrams show the location of notes on the fretboard.

Holding the Guitar

When you begin, whether you are playing acoustic or electric, you should be sitting down. Make sure you sit on a chair that doesn’t have an arm rest. Arm rests