Major Scales and Keys

Major scale

A scale that follows the pattern whole, whole, half, whole, whole, whole, half.

Whole step

Two half steps.

Half step

One half step; the smallest distance between two notes in Western music.

Tonic

The first and most important note of a scale or key.

Supertonic

The second scale degree.

Mediant

The third scale degree.

Subdominant

The fourth scale degree.

Dominant

The fifth scale degree.

Submediant

The sixth scale degree.

Leading tone

The seventh scale degree, which usually resolves up to the tonic.

Key

The tonal center or “home” note of a piece of music.

Key signature

Sharps or flats written at the beginning of a musical staff.

Accidental

A sharp, flat, or natural that appears in the music outside the key signature.

C Major

C D E F G A B C; has no sharps or flats.

G Major

G A B C D E F# G; has one sharp, F#.

D Major

D E F# G A B C# D; has two sharps.

A Major

A B C# D E F# G# A; has three sharps.

E Major

E F# G# A B C# D# E; has four sharps.

B Major

B C# D# E F# G# A# B; has five sharps.

F# Major

F# G# A# B C# D# E# F#; has six sharps.

C# Major

C# D# E# F# G# A# B# C#; has seven sharps.

F Major

F G A Bb C D E F; has one flat, Bb.

Bb Major

Bb C D Eb F G A Bb; has two flats.

Eb Major

Eb F G Ab Bb C D Eb; has three flats.

Ab Major

Ab Bb C Db Eb F G Ab; has four flats.

Db Major

Db Eb F Gb Ab Bb C Db; has five flats.

Gb Major

Gb Ab Bb Cb Db Eb F Gb; has six flats.

Cb Major

Cb Db Eb Fb Gb Ab Bb Cb; has seven flats.

Order of sharps

F#, C#, G#, D#, A#, E#, B#.

Order of flats

Bb, Eb, Ab, Db, Gb, Cb, Fb.

Sharp key rule

The major key is one half step above the last sharp.

Flat key rule

The major key is the second-to-last flat.

Circle of fifths

A system showing the relationship between keys that are a perfect fifth apart.

Clockwise circle of fifths

C, G, D, A, E, B, F#, C#; each key adds one sharp.

Counterclockwise circle of fifths

C, F, Bb, Eb, Ab, Db, Gb; each key adds one flat.

Relative minor

The minor key that shares the same key signature as a major key.

Finding the relative minor

Start on the sixth scale degree or move down three half steps from the major key.

Relative minor of C Major

A Minor.

Relative minor of G Major

E Minor.

Relative minor of F Major

D Minor.

Relative minor of D Major

B Minor.

Scale

A group of notes arranged in ascending or descending order.

Octave

The distance between one note and another note with the same name eight scale degrees apart.

Tonic and dominant relationship

The dominant is the fifth scale degree and usually creates tension that resolves to the tonic.

Order of sharps

F#, C#, G#, D#, A#, E#, B#

Order of flats

Bb, Eb, Ab, Db, Gb, Cb, Fb

Sharp mnemonic

Father Charles Goes Down And Ends Battle

Flat mnemonic

Battle Ends And Down Goes Charles' Father