A piano scale is a set of notes played in order, step by step, from a starting note up to the same note an octave higher. Scales are the raw material of melodies and chords, and practicing them builds even, confident fingers. Pick a root and a scale type in the scale finder above to see the notes on the keyboard and hear the scale go up and down.
Whole steps and half steps
A half step is the distance from one key to the very next, black or white: C to C#, or E to F. A whole step is two half steps, like C to D or E to F#. E–F and B–C are the only neighboring white keys a half step apart; all the others have a black key between them. Every scale is a fixed pattern of these steps, so you can start it on any of the 12 keys.
The major scale: W-W-H-W-W-W-H
The major scale runs whole, whole, half, whole, whole, whole, half. From C that gives C D E F G A B C, all white keys, because the half steps land on E–F and B–C. From G, the pattern needs one black key to keep the last step a half step: G A B C D E F# G, which is why G major has one sharp.
The notes are numbered 1 to 7, the scale degrees, and sung Do Re Mi Fa Sol La Ti (Si in many countries). Chord formulas use the same numbers, so every scale also gives you its piano chords.
Minor scales: natural, harmonic and melodic
A minor scale lowers the 3rd, which gives it a darker sound. Here are its three forms from A:
| Scale | Formula | Notes from A |
|---|---|---|
| Natural minor | 1 2 b3 4 5 b6 b7 | A B C D E F G A |
| Harmonic minor | 1 2 b3 4 5 b6 7 | A B C D E F G# A |
| Melodic minor, going up | 1 2 b3 4 5 6 7 | A B C D E F# G# A |
- Natural minor follows W-H-W-W-H-W-W. It shares its notes with its relative major, three half steps higher, so A minor and C major use the same white keys.
- Harmonic minor raises the 7th, leaving a gap of three half steps between the 6th and 7th (F to G# in A minor).
- Melodic minor raises the 6th and 7th going up. In classical music it comes back down as natural minor (A G F E D C B A); in jazz the raised notes are kept both ways.
Pentatonic, blues and chromatic scales
- Major pentatonic (1 2 3 5 6) is the major scale without its 4th and 7th. In C: C D E G A.
- Minor pentatonic (1 b3 4 5 b7) starts from the relative minor. In A: A C D E G, the same notes as C major pentatonic.
- Blues (1 b3 4 b5 5 b7) adds a flat 5th, often called the blue note, to the minor pentatonic. C blues is C Eb F Gb G Bb, and A blues is A C D Eb E G.
- Chromatic plays all 12 keys in a row by half steps: C C# D D# E F F# G G# A A# B C, usually written with sharps going up and flats coming down.
Pentatonic scales have no half steps, which makes them easy to improvise with, and the five black keys form one: F# major pentatonic (F# G# A# C# D#), or the minor pentatonic (D# F# G# A# C#) if you start on D#.
C major scale fingering
Fingers are numbered from the thumb (1) to the little finger (5) on both hands. To fit eight notes under five fingers, one finger has to cross:
| Note | C | D | E | F | G | A | B | C |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Right hand | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| Left hand | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
Going up, the right hand passes the thumb under after E, and the left hand crosses the 3rd finger over the thumb after G. Coming down, the right hand crosses the 3rd finger over the thumb onto E, and the left hand passes the thumb under onto G. The C major scale lesson has a practice routine, and hand position covers posture.
All 12 major scales
A major scale uses each letter name once, which gives every key its own key signature. Here they are in circle-of-fifths order:
| Key | Key signature | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| C major | none | C D E F G A B C |
| G major | 1 sharp | G A B C D E F# G |
| D major | 2 sharps | D E F# G A B C# D |
| A major | 3 sharps | A B C# D E F# G# A |
| E major | 4 sharps | E F# G# A B C# D# E |
| B major | 5 sharps | B C# D# E F# G# A# B |
| F# major | 6 sharps | F# G# A# B C# D# E# F# |
| Db major | 5 flats | Db Eb F Gb Ab Bb C Db |
| Ab major | 4 flats | Ab Bb C Db Eb F G Ab |
| Eb major | 3 flats | Eb F G Ab Bb C D Eb |
| Bb major | 2 flats | Bb C D Eb F G A Bb |
| F major | 1 flat | F G A Bb C D E F |
Db major uses the same keys as C# major but needs five flats instead of seven sharps.
How to practice scales
- Hear the scale in the finder first and notice which keys it uses.
- Play one hand and one octave at a time, then hands together.
- Keep every note even in length and loudness; speed comes later.
- Say the note names or scale degrees aloud as you play.
- Learn new keys in circle-of-fifths order, so each one adds a single sharp or flat.
- Follow each scale with its I, IV and V chords in the chord finder.
- Practice a few minutes every day.
Frequently asked questions
Which piano scale should I learn first?
C major, because it uses only white keys. G, D, A and E major come next, since each adds one sharp and all four use the C major fingering. Then learn their relative minors: A, E, B, F# and C# minor.
How many piano scales are there?
Far more than any one chart can show, but the usual foundation is the 12 major and 12 minor scales. The scale finder covers eight scale types on each of 12 roots, 96 scales in all.
What is the difference between a major and a minor scale?
The 3rd note: a minor scale's 3rd is a half step lower, and natural minor also lowers the 6th and 7th. C major is C D E F G A B, while C natural minor is C D Eb F G Ab Bb.
What is a pentatonic scale?
A scale with five notes. Major pentatonic uses degrees 1 2 3 5 6, so G major pentatonic is G A B D E, and minor pentatonic uses 1 b3 4 5 b7, so E minor pentatonic is E G A B D.
What notes are in the blues scale?
The blues scale is 1 b3 4 b5 5 b7: a minor pentatonic with the flat 5th added. E blues, for example, is E G A Bb B D.
Why does F# major have an E# instead of an F?
A major scale uses each letter name once. F# major already has an F#, so its 7th note has to be a kind of E, and the key a half step below F# is written E#. You play it on the same key as F.