2.2 · Major Scale
The major scale recipe
A scale is a ladder of notes, and the major scale is the brightest ladder in music. It's built from one fixed recipe of whole and half steps. Learn it once on C, where every rung is a white key.
The recipe
Seven steps, always in this order: W–W–H–W–W–W–H. Two whole steps, a half step, three whole steps, a half step. And you're home, an octave up.
WWHWWWH
C major: all white keys
Start on C and follow the recipe: the half steps land exactly on the two no-black-key gaps (E–F and B–C), so C major never leaves the white keys. Your ear already knows this ladder as do re mi.
Game · Build the scale
1 / 3Tap the first note of C major.
Quiz
1 / 4The major scale recipe is…