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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Strumming Patterns

Downstrum Every Beat1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &D D D D Adding Two Upstrums1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &D D D U D U Adding Three

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Triads – Major Inversions

The following example uses Major Triads in C.Root inversion - root is on the lowest noteE---------B---------G------0--D----2----A--3------E--------- C E G R 3 5First inversion - root is on highest noteE---------B------1--G----0----D--2------A---------E--------- E

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Country Scale

Position 1E------------------------------------------4-5-7-8--B------------------------------------5-7-8----------G--------------------------4-5-6-7-8----------------D------------------4-5-6-7--------------------------A----------4-5-6-7----------------------------------E--4-5-7-8------------------------------------------E--8-7-5-4------------------------------------------B----------8-7-5------------------------------------G----------------8-7-6-5-4--------------------------D--------------------------7-6-5-4------------------A----------------------------------7-6-5-4----------E------------------------------------------8-7-5-4--Position 2E-----------------------------------------------7-8-9-10--B--------------------------------------7-8-9-10-----------G------------------------------6-7-8-9--------------------D---------------------6-7-9-10----------------------------A--------------7-9-10-------------------------------------E--7-8-9-10-11--------------------------------------------E--10-9-8-7-----------------------------------------------B-----------10-9-8-7--------------------------------------G--------------------9-8-7-6------------------------------D----------------------------10-9-7-6---------------------A-------------------------------------10-9-7--------------E--------------------------------------------11-10-9-8-7--Position 3E-----------------------------------------------7-8-9-10-11--B--------------------------------------7-8-9-10--------------G------------------------------6-7-8-9-----------------------D---------------------6-7-9-10-------------------------------A--------------7-9-10----------------------------------------E--7-8-9-10-11-----------------------------------------------E--11-10-9-8-7-----------------------------------------------B--------------10-9-8-7--------------------------------------G-----------------------9-8-7-6------------------------------D-------------------------------10-9-7-6---------------------A----------------------------------------10-9-7--------------E-----------------------------------------------11-10-9-8-7--Position 4E--------------------------------------------------------------12-14-15--B-----------------------------------------------12-13-14-15-16-----------G-----------------------------------11-12-13-14--------------------------D-----------------------11-12-13-14--------------------------------------A-----------11-12-14-15--------------------------------------------------E--12-14-15--------------------------------------------------------------E--15-14-12--------------------------------------------------------------B-----------16-15-14-13-12-----------------------------------------------G--------------------------14-13-12-11-----------------------------------D--------------------------------------14-13-12-11-----------------------A--------------------------------------------------15-14-12-11-----------E--------------------------------------------------------------15-14-12--Position 5E------------------------------------------2-3-4-5--B----------------------------------2-3-4-5----------G----------------------------2-4-5------------------D--------------------2-4-5-6------------------------A----------2-3-4-5-6--------------------------------E--2-3-4-5------------------------------------------E--5-4-3-2------------------------------------------B----------5-4-3-2----------------------------------G------------------5-4-2----------------------------D------------------------6-5-4-2--------------------A--------------------------------6-5-4-3-2----------E------------------------------------------5-4-3-2--

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