Mid-Lesson Practice
I recommend two exercises to help you learn the major scale pattern and sound. It is important that you hear the sound of the scale. I often recommend playing a Major chord before playing this scale. It helps you hear the scale. For example, play a C Major chord then play a C Major scale.
Exercise 1: Write the notes of all the major scales.
Exercise 2: For every key, play the major scale on each individual string. Say the notes as you play them. Sing them if you can. Pay attention to the sound and the steps. This is useful because you will sometimes want to move up or down the neck with a scale and this exercise helps you learn one way to do that.
The major scale formula is W-W-H-W-W-W-H.
| Scale | I | II / IX | III | IV / XI | V | VI / XIII | VII | I (octave) |
| A | A | B | C♯ | D | E | F♯ | G♯ | A |
| A♯ | A♯ | B♯ | C♯♯ | D♯ | E♯ | F♯♯ | G♯♯ | A♯ |
| B♭ | B♭ | C | D | E♭ | F | G | A | B♭ |
| B | B | C♯ | D♯ | E | F♯ | G♯ | A♯ | B |
| C | C | D | E | F | G | A | B | C |
| C♯ | C♯ | D♯ | E♯ | F♯ | G♯ | A♯ | B♯ | C♯ |
| D♭ | D♭ | E♭ | F | G♭ | A♭ | B♭ | C | D♭ |
| D | D | E | F♯ | G | A | B | C♯ | D |
| D♯ | D♯ | E♯ | F♯♯ | G♯ | A♯ | B♯ | C♯♯ | D♯ |
| E♭ | E♭ | F | G | A♭ | B♭ | C | D | E♭ |
| E | E | F♯ | G♯ | A | B | C♯ | D♯ | E |
| F | F | G | A | B♭ | C | D | E | F |
| F♯ | F♯ | G♯ | A♯ | B | C♯ | D♯ | E♯ | F♯ |
| G♭ | G♭ | A♭ | B♭ | C♭ | D♭ | E♭ | F | G♭ |
| G | G | A | B | C | D | E | F♯ | G |
| G♯ | G♯ | A♯ | B♯ | C♯ | D♯ | E♯ | F♯♯ | G♯ |
| A♭ | A♭ | B♭ | C | D♭ | E♭ | F | G | A♭ |
Note the number of sharps and flats in each major scale.
Moving from C through the circle of 5ths, each key increases the number of sharps.
Moving from C through the circle of 4ths, each key increases the number of flats.
