The major scale is constructed like this:
TONE, TONE, SEMITONE, TONE, TONE, TONE, SEMITONE
So if we use Cmajor as an example,
C D E F G A B C
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C – D
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TONE
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D – E
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TONE
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E – F
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SEMITONE
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F – G
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TONE
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G – A
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TONE
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A – B
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TONE
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B – C
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SEMITONE
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So Using the following:
TONE, TONE, SEMITONE, TONE, TONE, TONE, SEMITONE
We can make all major scales:
Lets use Dmajor as an example:
D E F# G A B C# D
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D – E
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TONE
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E – F#
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TONE
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F# – G
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SEMITONE
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G – A
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TONE
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A – B
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TONE
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B – C#
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TONE
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C# – D
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SEMITONE
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Other ways of working out scales can be done like this:
For scales that have sharps(#)
If we start with C major
C D E F G A B C
Go up to the fifth degree of the scale to G and start following the musical alphabet through to the octave.
G A B C D E F G
Retain the sharps (#) from the previous scale – (with Cmajor we have no sharps or flats)
Add a sharp (#) to the seventh note:
G A B C D E F# G
———————————–
So using this again:
G A B C D E F# G
Go up to the fifth degree of the scale to D and start following the musical alphabet through to the octave.
D E F# G A B C D
Retain the sharps (#) from the previous scale – (with Gmajor has an F#)
Add a sharp (#) to the seventh note:
D E F# G A B C# D
———————————–
Follow this through and you will get all the major scales that have sharps in their key signature.
A major scale has the notes: A B C# D E F# G# A
E major scale has the notes: E F# G# A B C# D# E
B major scale has the notes: B C# D# E F# G# A# B
F# major scale has the notes: F# G # A# B C# D# E# F#
C# major scale has the notes: C# D# E# F# G# A# B# C#
——————————-
Major scales with flats (b)
Again using Cmajor as our starting point.
C D E F G A B C
Go up to the fourth degree of the scale to F and start following the musical alphabet through to the octave.
F G A B C D E F
Retain the flats (b) from the previous scale (Cmajor has no sharps or flats)
Add a flat (b) to the fourth note
F G A Bb C D E F
——————–
So following this through:
Take Fmajor:
F G A Bb C D E F
Go up to the fourth degree of the scale to F and start following the musical alphabet through to the octave.
Bb C D E F G A Bb
We now have our next major scale that has flats in it – this being Bb major
Retain the flats (b) from the previous scale (Bb major already has, as you can see a Bb)
Add a flat (b) to the fourth note
Bb C D Eb F G A Bb
Bb major scale has the notes Bb C D Eb F G A Bb
Eb major scale has the notes Eb F G Ab Bb C D Eb
Ab major scale has the notes Ab Bb C Db Eb G Ab
Db major scale has the notes Db Eb F Gb Ab Bb C Db
Gb major scale has the notes Gb Ab Bb Cb Db Eb F Gb
Cb major scale has the notes Cb Db Eb Fb Gb Ab Bb Cb
—————————————
Each note of a scale has a name – below using Cmajor as an example – the table shows both the name and the number of each degree of the scale – the numbers are always represented by a roman numeral
| Note | Degree of scale | Name |
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C
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I
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TONIC
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D
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II
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SUPERTONIC
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E
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III
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MEDIANT
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F
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IV
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SUBDOMINANT
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G
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V
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DOMINANT
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A
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VI
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SUBMEDIANT
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B
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VII
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LEADING TONE
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