How to Play the 7 Scale Notes on the Piano

A piano scale is a group of 7 piano keys. Each scale has its own sound, but contains 7 scale notes that follow the same pattern but you play them with different keys. Major and minor scales produce different moods and feelings in music. One of the first things to learn if you wish to play the piano is how to play the different scales.

Difficulty: Challenging

Instructions

1. Use the following pattern to move from key to key to play a piano scale: whole-whole-half, whole-whole-whole-half. This pattern will tell you what key to hit next, regardless of which key you start with to play a scale.

2. Move from one white key to the next white key to play a whole step when a black key separates the white keys. E to F and B to C are exceptions because they have no black keys in-between.

3. Go from one black key to the next black key as another type of whole step. The exceptions are E flat and B flat because there are two white keys in-between.

4. Finger from a white key to a black key, or black to white key to play a half step.

5. Pass your thumb under your hand after playing the third note and move your hand to the right to play the fourth note with your thumb and finish a scale up the piano when playing with the right hand.

6. Start with your pinky and pass the third finger to the right over your thumb to play an octave up the piano with your left hand.

Tips & Warnings

• C Major is the easiest scale because you only press white keys. Start with Middle C, which is the key located in the center of your keyboard.
• Play black notes with the second, third or fourth fingers: it's hard to reach a black note with the thumb.
• Practice playing major and minor scales by playing them at different rates of speed and using different octaves. Use scales to warm up before beginning to play.
• When you are finished with the 7 notes of a scale, the next note starts the scale over again. A set of 8 notes is an octave.

Resources

• Take free piano lessons over the Internet.