Kaii had combined several piano/keyboard method books and her life long music learning books to create this sequential music theory study for this website. This page is about the understanding of Musical Scales. By clicking on the other colored links at the bottom of this page, the other music theory topics can be found easily.

For more information, please contact Kaii directly: info@kafm.net

Major Scales | Minor Scales | Other Scales | Degree Names

In music, a Scale is any set of musical notes placed in order by fundamental frequency or pitch. A scale arranged by increasing pitch is an ascending scale (going up), and a scale arranged by decreasing pitch is a descending scale (going down). In the western music system, all Major and Minor Scales consists of seven pitches, while the number 8 pitch is exactly an octave higher. The pitches are also called the Degrees. All major scales have two half steps between degrees 3-4 and 7-8. The intervals, such as an octave, will be discussed more on the "Intervals" page on this website. The following sections on this page will mainly use Whole Notes to show positions for clarification purposes. Therefore, there are no rhythmic patterns on this page.

By using a piano keyboard, the scales can be easily understood visually. All Major and Minor Scales are built with Whole and Half Steps. A Whole Step is the interval of a Major Second, such as the distance of the "White Key C" to the "White Key D", with a "Black Key C#/Db" in the middle of them. A Half Step is the interval of a Minor Second, such as the distance of the "White Key E" to the "White Key F", without any "Black Key" in the middle of them. When there is not a black key between any two white keys, it is also called a "Natural Half Step."

All major scales have two half steps between degrees 3-4 and 7-8. For the C Major Scale, the half steps are located between "E" and "F", degrees 3 and 4, and "B" and "C", degrees 7 and 8. In C major scale, these two half steps are the perfect examples of the "Natural Half Steps."

C Major

Each of these degrees in any scale has its own unique name that associates with a specific degree, especially when it comes to chords and triads. See the following chart for the scale Degree Names.

G Major

D Major

A Major

E Major

B Major

F-Sharp Major

C-Sharp Major

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The major scales with flats in the key signature also have two half steps between degrees 3-4 and 7-8.

F Major

B-Flat Major

E-Flat Major

A-Flat Major

D-Flat Major

G-Flat Major

C-Flat Major

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Like the Major Scales, a Minor Scale consists of seven pitches, while the number 8 pitch is exactly an octave higher. However, there are three different styles of Minor Scales in the Western Music.

 

The Parallel Minors and the Relative Minors are different by names and key signatures. Compared to major scales, the Parallel Minors have the same "Letter Key Names" but different key signatures. For example, C Major Scale has no sharp or flat for its key signature, while C Minor Scales have three flats, same as the C Major key signature. On the other hand, the Relative Minors that share the same key signature with a Major Scale are always a Minor Third lower than the Major Scale Letter Name. For example, A Minor is the Relative Minor to C Major and both have no sharp or flat as their key signatures.

Minor scales have three forms and names: Natural, Harmonic, and Melodic. The Relative Natural Minor scale will take the natural form of a major scale key signature. "A" Natural Minor Scale has no sharp or flat, like the C Major Scale. All natural minor scales have two half steps between degrees 2-3 and 5-6.

A Natural Minor - Relative Major scale is C Major scale

The Harmonic Minor Scale has a Raised Seventh Degree that creates one more half step. Therefore, there are three half steps, between degrees 2-3,
5-6, and 7-8. The interval between degrees 6 and 7 becomes "Augmented Second", even though it sounds like an interval of a "Minor Third."

A Harmonic Minor

The Melodic Minor Scale has Raised Sixth and Seventh Degrees in the ascending direction and None in the descending direction. Therefore, the Melodic Minor Scales always have more Accidentals, sharps, naturals, and flats. The half steps are between degrees 2-3 and 7-8 in the ascending direction and between degrees 6-5 and 3-2 in the descending direction. The descending portion of any Melodic Minor Scale sounds and looks like a descending Natural Minor Scale.

A Melodic Minor

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From here on on this web page, all minor scales will be placed together per Letter Name Key Signature as one group.

E Natural Minor - Relative Major scale is G Major scale

E Harmonic Minor

E Melodic Minor

 

B Natural Minor - Relative Major scale is D Major scale

B Harmonic Minor

B Melodic Minor

 

F-Sharp Natural Minor - Relative Major scale is A Major scale

F-Sharp Harmonic Minor

F-Sharp Melodic Minor

 

C-Sharp Natural Minor - Relative Major scale is E Major scale

C-Sharp Harmonic Minor

C-Sharp Melodic Minor

 

G-Sharp Natural Minor - Relative Major scale is B Major scale

G-Sharp Harmonic Minor

G-Sharp Melodic Minor

 

D-Sharp Natural Minor - Relative Major scale is F Sharp Major scale

D-Sharp Harmonic Minor

D-Sharp Melodic Minor

 

A-Sharp Natural Minor - Relative Major scale is C Sharp Major scale

A-Sharp Harmonic Minor

A-Sharp Melodic Minor

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Here are the Minor Scales with Flats in their key signature(s).

 

D Natural Minor - Relative Major scale is F Major scale

D Harmonic Minor

D Melodic Minor

 

G Natural Minor - Relative Major scale is B Flat Major scale

G Harmonic Minor

G Melodic Minor

 

C Natural Minor - Relative Major scale is E Flat Major scale

C Harmonic Minor

C Melodic Minor

 

F Natural Minor - Relative Major scale is A Flat Major scale

F Harmonic Minor

F Melodic Minor

 

B-Flat Natural Minor - Relative Major scale is D Flat Major scale

B-Flat Harmonic Minor

B-Flat Melodic Minor

 

E-Flat Natural Minor - Relative Major scale is G Flat Major scale

E-Flat Harmonic Minor

E-Flat Melodic Minor

 

A-Flat Natural Minor - Relative Major scale is C Flat Major scale

A-Flat Harmonic Minor

A-Flat Melodic Minor

 

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Similar to the Major and Minor Scales, there are other scales that consist of four to twelve pitches. The other commonly used scales are the Pentatonic Scales, Chromatic Scales, Whole-Tone Scales, and Blues Scales.

A Pentatonic Scale has a total of five tones. It can begin on any pitch or key. Most of the steps within the pentatonic scale are created by a whole step, or major second, with the exception of degrees 3 and 4 that is made of an interval of a minor third. (For more information on intervals, click for the Intervals page.) In several Asian countries, each of the variations of the Pentatonic scales would receive a distinctive individual name.

Pentatonic Scale

Here is a variation of a pentatonic scale from the above pentatonic scale. Based on the move, it now has two intervals of a minor third within the scale, located between steps 2 and 3, and steps 4 and 5.

One Variation of a Pentatonic Scale

One more variation of the Pentatonic Scale that starts with a different tone or pitch. It is also called the Minor Pentatonic Scale. Based on the move, this scale also has two intervals of a minor third within the scale, located between steps 1 and 2, and steps 4 and 5.

Minor Pentatonic Scale

 

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The following scale is called the Chromatic Scale. It can start from any pitch or key while all the steps remind the same, a half step, or minor second.

Chromatic Scale

 

On the other hand, when a scale is made with all Whole Steps, or the Interval of a Major Second, it is called a Whole-Tone Scale. This scale can begin on any pitch or key, such as "C" in the following example. Based on the Whole Steps between any neighboring steps, or tones, there are seven steps or pitches in each Whole-Tone Scale. Notice that A-Sharp to C is considered a "Diminished Third" as a written interval. However, they make a "Whole Step" or "Major Second" in sound.

Whole-Tone Scale

Here is another sample of a Whole-Tone Scale, starting on the pitch of "F."

A different Whole-Tone Scale starting on "F"

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The Blues Scale, or Hexatonic Scale (six-steps/pitches), consists of the Minor Pentatonic Scale plus the Lowered Fifth Degree of the original Minor Pentatonic Scale. This added note, the Blue Note, can be spelled as either a Flat 5 or Sharp 4, if the original major/minor scale is considered. However, on this website, the Pentatonic Scales are separated from the major and minor scales, therefore, the Blue Note here is spelled Flat 4 or Sharp 3.

Blues Scale

The traditional way of spelling the Blue Note looks like the following graph.

Blues Scale by different numbers

 

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The next topic in this Music Theory site is all about "Modes." Thank you for reading!

Music Theory that every musician could use and should know
The Basics	Math in Music	More Math and Signs	Music Forms
Time Signatures	Intervals	Modulations	Homophonic Style
			Polyphonic Style
	Diatonic & Chromatic Steps	Transposition	Contrapuntal Techniques
Key Signatures	Triads & Inversions		Binary Form
	Primary Triads	Augmented Sixth Chords	Ternary Form
	Secondary Triads	Traditional Compositional Tools	Dance Suites
Scales	Seventh Chords	Contemporary Compositional Tools	Prelude & Fugue
	Secondary Dominant	Musical Signs	Sonata Form
	Cadences		Rondo Form
Modes	Chord Progressions	Musical Terms	Theme & Variations
	Figured Bass & Basso Continuo		Serialism

For more information, please contact Ms. Lee at: info@kafm.net

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