Piano / major scales
Major scales on piano, all twelve keys
Twelve major scales, standard fingerings, and the practice order that gets adult learners through them without burning out.
A major scale is a seven-note pattern with the interval structure whole-whole-half-whole-whole-whole-half (in semitones: 2-2-1-2-2-2-1). Play those steps from any starting note and you have a major scale in that key.
The 12 major scales, listed
- C major: C D E F G A B C (no sharps, no flats)
- G major: G A B C D E F# G (1 sharp: F#)
- D major: D E F# G A B C# D (2 sharps)
- A major: A B C# D E F# G# A (3 sharps)
- E major: E F# G# A B C# D# E (4 sharps)
- B major: B C# D# E F# G# A# B (5 sharps)
- F# major: F# G# A# B C# D# E# F# (6 sharps)
- F major: F G A B♭ C D E F (1 flat: B♭)
- B♭ major: B♭ C D E♭ F G A B♭ (2 flats)
- E♭ major: E♭ F G A♭ B♭ C D E♭ (3 flats)
- A♭ major: A♭ B♭ C D♭ E♭ F G A♭ (4 flats)
- D♭ major: D♭ E♭ F G♭ A♭ B♭ C D♭ (5 flats)
Right-hand fingering group
Most white-key major scales use the pattern 1-2-3-1-2-3-4-5 ascending. Scales starting on black keys use variations, because thumb-on-black-key is bad technique for white-key thumb-crossings.
Piston notes that the C-major fingering (thumb-under after third finger) is the default because it aligns the four-finger group with the strongest fingers on the strongest scale degrees. Deviations from this pattern in F# major, B major, and similar scales are ergonomic compromises for black-key layouts.
Piston, Harmony, 5th ed, appendix on keyboard writing.
Left-hand fingering group
Left hand mirror-inverts the right-hand pattern. C major ascending: 5-4-3-2-1-3-2-1. The third finger crosses over the thumb after G.
The 12-key practice cycle
Two-week rotation for intermediate learners: three keys per day, all 12 across four days, repeat. Metronome 60 BPM for the first two weeks, then step up in 10 BPM increments once every key is clean at the current tempo.
Circle of fifths order
The order in the list above follows the circle of fifths: each key adds one sharp (moving clockwise) or one flat (moving counter-clockwise) from the previous. Learning the scales in circle order teaches the key signatures at the same time.
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