This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. The fingers preceded by a dash are using notes on the counterbass row. In this lesson, we will learn all about major scales. Applying that scale formula to the notes of the C major scale yields: C – D – Eb – F – G – Ab – Bb. Notice how we use F sharp instead of F. Starting on C, let's move a whole step higher. A diatonic scale is a series of eight successive notes that are arranged in a systematic relationship of whole steps and half steps. Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. One is by knowing the key signature. The "b" - a flat. In our previous lesson on finding the 12 major chords we learned a simple formula and learned that by choosing the First, Third, and Fifth note of any major scale we will end up with the major chord named by that scale. In this post, you will get acquainted with everything you need to know about key signatures. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. LH = Left hand, RH = Right hand. When you know the key signature, you can start and end on the root note of that key. Next in our lesson on piano scales we take a look at the melodic minor scale. The formula for building the major scale is W-W-H-W-W-W-H. (W= Whole Step, H= Half Step). This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. The formula for forming major scales no matter the key is whole step – whole step – 1/2 step – whole step – whole step – whole step – half step. To learn more about  scales, check out my course, Learn Scales & Music Theory & Give Yourself An Upper Hand. The rest of the notes have a black key in between them making the distance a whole step (or a whole-step interval). Major Scale Formula. A whole step is two frets. These scales are for obvious reasons perfect when playing blues on the piano. The distance between B and C is also a half step. The 1/2 steps are between E & G, and then B & C. On the guitar: A half step is one fret. A minor scale for example is the parallel scale of C major. This new scale is the C natural minor scale, which is usually just referred to as the C minor scale. In today’s episode, I wanted to discuss how to play formula patterns, which are basically an extended version of a regular scale. Whole Tones and Semitones (Half Steps and Whole Steps). As for whole steps (or whole tones) they always skip a key. How do you construct a major scale? © 2009-2020 Piano-Keyboard-Guide.com. Report. Major & Minor Scales. We can call this the major scale formula. Chord Formula for 7th Chords. Look at each notated scale below and mark the half steps with a slur. The key difference between major and minor scaes is that notes on a major scale sound bright and cheerful, while notes on a minor scale sound solemn and sad. It makes use of accidentals (sharps and flats) depending on whether you are ascending or descending, in connection with the key signature. Let's start on C. We are going to form a C maj scale. The 1/2 steps come between the 3rd & 4th notes and the 7th & 8th notes. We will first of all learn how to build major scales and minor scales. Gb major has 6 flats. Major Chord Formula. In order to play a major triad we need to find the root, 3rd, and 5th of the major scale. W-H-W-W-H-W-W. As an example, let’s take a look at the A natural minor scale. Once you understand it, everything is going to open up for you. When descending, you simply use the tones of the natural or pure minor scale. Piano Keys to Play C Major Chords. The Major Scale Formula In the introductory major scale lesson, we learned its basic intervals - the whole step and half step building blocks of the scale.This lesson will delve a bit deeper into how these intervals are formed. A whole step is two frets. F# major has 6 sharps. The formula for building a natural minor scale is whole step – half step – whole step – whole step – half step – whole step – whole step. Since we’re talking about different scales, let’s take a look at the major scale formula and how the order of note pitches defines the major sound. That means that they share the same notes. Minor scales include natural or pure minor scales, harmonic minor scales and melodic minor scales. Return from Piano Scales to Piano Keyboard Home Page. This scale is pretty straightforward. C major scale: C – D – E – F – G – A – B – C 2. Here we will learn how to build major scales. W-W-H-W-W-W-H. What if we were in the key of G? Playing these three notes together produces the major triad. The notes of the G major scale are G A B C D E F Sharp. So is the distance between D and D sharp, E and F, and B and C. What is a whole step? The other way to figure out a one of the Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. Each of these scales has a unique pattern of black keys and white keys. The Dorian modes are comparable to the Major scales – D Dorian, for example, includes exactly the same notes as C Major. Click here to learn how to play piano and keyboards (with Piano For All). @dare opes. For the ascending scale you use sharp signs and natural signs, and for the descending scale you use flat signs and natural signs. B to C is a half step. Follow. The … Simple, right? 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