How to learn music: The Major scale - learning to play and read music

Learn to play and read music as we explore a fundamental idea in music: The Major Scale

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• You need to have completed part 1.

1. Remember with ascending notes we have A,A#,B,C,C#,D,D#,E,F,F#,G and G#, and with descening notes we have G, Gb,F,E,Eb,D,Db,C,B,Bb,A,Ab.

2. Describe a half step. When we go from one tone to its neighboring tone (like C to C#, or E to F, or G to Gb) that distance is called a half step.

3. Describe a whole step. When we go from one tone to a tone two spots away (like C to D, or E to F#, or G to A) that distance is called a whole step.

4. Use the Major Scale Formula. The formula for the major scale is W-W-H-W-W-W-H, [W=whole step] [H=half step]. Which ever note you start the formula on IS THE NAME OF THE SCALE. so if you start on C, then the notes are [C-D-E-F-G-A-B-C] and the name of the scale you are playing is THE C-MAJOR SCALE. It has no sharps or flats and is the ONLY Major scale to have no sharps or flats.

5. Test yourself: Find the notes for the G Major Scale and the F Major Scale.
   G Major Scale = G-A-B-C-D-E-F#-G, the F Major scale = F-G-A-Bb-C-D-E-F.

6. Think about the major scale intervals. Interval information: The Major scale contains the following intervals, M2,M3,P4,P5,M6,M7,P8. [M=Major, m = minor, P = Perfect, d = diminished]

Tips & Warnings

• The more music you learn, the more sense it will make.
• If you only take a few lessons it won't make any sense at all.
• please rate my article. It makes me smile and encourages me to write more :)
• Don't confuse the major scale with a major pentatonic scale!

[cafurloughin]

on 2/12/2009 Good, thorough info. Not run of the mill stuff that everyone knows.