Last Updated on October 29, 2023 by Rebecca
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Notes of the Major Scales with Fingerings for Piano and Keyboard
Surprise! There are actually 15 major scales, not 12! To start, here’s a breakdown of how to play each of the 15 major scales for piano or keyboard.
Then we’ll dive into deeper information about scales, including why we say there are 12 major scales when there are technically 15.
Everything you need to know in order to learn the major scales in 1 octave is provided for free on this page, including the notes and correct fingering of each scale. But if you'd like the convenience of simple cheat sheets you can download and print or view in a PDF, or if you'd like to learn how to extend the scales to 2 octaves, the ebook Major Scales for Piano and Keyboard is available for purchase in my Shop.
A flat major scale
The notes of the A flat major scale are: Ab – Bb – C – Db – Eb – F – G – Ab
The right hand fingering pattern of the A flat major scale is: 34 123 123
The left hand fingering pattern of the A flat major scale is: 321 4321 3
A major scale
The notes of the A major scale are: A – B – C# – D – E – F# – G# – A
The right hand fingering pattern of the A major scale is: 123 12345
The left hand fingering pattern of the A major scale is: 54321 321
B flat major scale
The notes of the B flat major scale are: Bb – C – D – Eb – F – G – A – Bb
The right hand fingering pattern of the B flat major scale is: 2 123 1234
The left hand fingering pattern of the B flat major scale is: 321 4321 3
B major scale
The notes of the B major scale are: B – C# – D# – E – F# – G# – A# – B
The right hand fingering pattern of the B major scale is: 123 12345
The left hand fingering pattern of the B major scale is: 4321 4321
C flat major scale
*Note that musicians often use the B major scale instead.
The notes of the C flat major scale are: Cb – Db – Eb – Fb – Gb – Ab – Bb – Cb
The right hand fingering pattern of the C flat major scale is: 123 1234 1
The left hand fingering pattern of the C flat major scale is: 4321 4321
C major scale
The notes of the C major scale are: C – D – E – F – G – A – B – C
The right hand fingering pattern of the C major scale is: 123 12345
The left hand fingering pattern of the C major scale is: 54321 321
C sharp major scale
*Note that musicians often use the D flat major scale instead.
The notes of the C shar major scale are: C# – D# – E# – F# – G# – A# – B# – C#
The right hand fingering pattern of the C sharp major scale is: 23 1234 12
The left hand fingering pattern of the C sharp major scale is: 321 4321 3
D flat major scale
The notes of the D flat major scale are: Db – Eb – F – Gb – Ab – Bb – C – Db
The right hand fingering pattern of the D flat major scale is: 23 1234 12
The left hand fingering pattern of the D flat major scale is: 321 4321 3
D major scale
The notes of the D major scale are: D – E – F# – G – A – B – C# – D
The right hand fingering pattern of the D major scale is: 123 12345
The left hand fingering pattern of the D major scale is: 54321 321
E flat major scale
The notes of the E flat major scale are: Eb – F – G – Ab – Bb – C – D – Eb
The right hand fingering pattern of the E flat major scale is: 2 1234 123
The left hand fingering pattern of the E flat major scale is: 321 4321 3
E major scale
The notes of the E major scale are: E – F# – G# – A – B – C# – D# – E
The right hand fingering pattern of the E major scale is: 123 12345
The left hand fingering pattern of the E major scale is: 54321 321
F major scale
The notes of the F major scale are: F – G – A – Bb – C – D – E – F
The right hand fingering pattern of the F major scale is: 1234 1234
The left hand fingering pattern of the F major scale is: 54321 321
F sharp major scale
The notes of the F sharp major scale are: F# – G# – A# – B – C# – D# – E# – F#
The right hand fingering pattern of the F sharp major scale is: 234 123 12
The left hand fingering pattern of the F sharp major scale is: 4321 321 4
G flat major scale
The notes of the G flat major scale are: Gb – Ab – Bb – Cb – Db – Eb – F – Gb
The right hand fingering pattern of the G flat major scale is: 234 123 12
The left hand fingering pattern of the G flat major scale is: 4321 321 4
G major scale
The notes of the G major scale are: G – A – B – C – D – E – F# – G
The right hand fingering pattern of the G major scale is: 123 12345
The left hand fingering pattern of the G major scale is: 54321 321
Note Pattern for Major Scales (Formula of Steps)
Every type of scale has a unique formula of half steps and whole steps. And all scales of the same type follow the same formula.
For major scales, that formula is:
Whole – Whole – Half – Whole – Whole – Whole – Half
Using this formula, you can figure out any major scale, starting on any note.
List of Major Scales
Everyone talks about the 12 major scales. But the truth is, there are actually 15 major scales!
The reason we say there are 12 is because some of them are enharmonic. This means they have different names and they are notated differently on the music staff, but they look and sound the same on the piano.
The 15 major scales are:
- A flat major
- A major
- B flat major
- B major
- C flat major
- C major
- C sharp major
- D flat major
- D major
- E flat major
- E major
- F major
- F sharp major
- G flat major
- G major
Which Major Scales Are Enharmonic?
There are 3 pairs of enharmonic scales or key signatures.
When composing music, there are reasons why it's useful to have both key signatures of an enharmonic pairing. There are some situations where one or the other will be more musically appropriate to the piece of music.
But when it comes to scales practice, we tend to pick one of the 2 to practice. After all, they're identical on the keyboard, so if your fingers can play one, they can also play the other.
So from each of the 3 enharmonic pairings, which scale should you pick for your scales practice routine?
Enharmonic Scales C flat Major and B Major
Many musicians practice the B major scale instead of the C flat major scale. This is because the B major scale has 5 sharps, which is generally considered easier to notate and read than the 7 flats in the C flat major scale.
Enharmonic Scales D flat Major and C sharp Major
Many musicians practice the D flat major scale instead of the C sharp major scale. Again, this is because the D flat major scale is generally considered easier to notate and read. It has 5 flats, while the C sharp major scale has 7 sharps.
Enharmonic Scales F sharp Major and G flat Major
Both have the same number of accidentals, so neither one wins over the other in terms of simplicity. But I like to focus on the G flat major scale.
When you start practicing minor scales, you'll learn that there is no Gb minor scale, but there is an F# minor scale. So I like to mentally save F# for my list of minor scales, and therefore use G flat for my list of major scales.
Key Signatures of Major Scales
Each major scale has its own key signature. The key signature shows which sharps or flats are in each scale.
When talking about scales and key signatures, most musicians like to organize and represent the scales on the circle of fifths. The circle of fifths puts the scales in increasing order of accidentals.
Key Signatures of Major Scales with Sharps
If you start at the top of the circle of fifths and work your way around clockwise, the scales and their key signatures are as follows:
- C major – no sharps or flats
- G major – 1 sharp (F#)
- D major – 2 sharps (F#, C#)
- A major – 3 sharps (F#, C#, G#)
- E major – 4 sharps (F#, C#, G#, D#)
- B major – 5 sharps (F#, C#, G#, D#, A#)
- F sharp major – 6 sharps (F#, C#, G#, D#, A#, E#)
- C sharp major – 7 sharps (F#, C#, G#, D#, A#, E#, B#)
If you can remember how many sharps a major scale has, you can figure out which sharps they are by using this mnemonic:
Father Charles Goes Down And Ends Battle
Simply start at the beginning of the mnemonic, and work your way through until you have identified the appropriate number of sharps for your scale.
Key Signatures of Major Scales with Flats
If you start at the top of the circle of fifths and work your way around counter-clockwise, the scales and their key signatures are as follows:
- C major – no sharps or flats
- F major – 1 flat (Bb)
- B flat major – 2 flats (Bb, Eb)
- E flat major – 3 flats (Bb, Eb, Ab)
- A flat major – 4 flats (Bb, Eb, Ab, Db)
- D flat major – 5 flats (Bb, Eb, Ab, Db, Gb)
- G flat major – 6 flats (Bb, Eb, Ab, Db, Gb, Cb)
- C flat major – 7 flats (Bb, Eb, Ab, Db, Gb, Cb, Fb)
To figure out which flats are in a given scale, use the sharp scales' mnemonic in reverse:
Battle Ends And Down Goes Charles’ Father
Once again, if you can remember how many flats your scale has, simply start at the beginning of the mnemonic and work your way through until you have identified the appropriate number of flats.
How to Practice Major Scales for Piano
I recommend tackling the major scales in 3 groups: the sharp scales, then the enharmonic scales, and finally the flat scales. Within each group, start with the scales with fewer accidentals, and work your way up to those with more.
Start by practicing only one hand at a time.
Practice very slowly, focusing on playing the correct notes with the correct fingers.
Accuracy is always more important than speed when practicing piano. Remember, so much of learning piano is about building muscle memory. Every time you make a mistake in your practice, your muscles remember that mistake.
If you make a lot of different mistakes, your fingers just get confused and they won’t remember what you want them to do.
If you make the same mistake repeatedly, your fingers will think you want them to play that mistake, and they will commit it to your muscle memory.
This will make it much more difficult to fix the mistake in your practice. And it will make it much more likely that you will accidentally make this mistake again in the future, even after you thought you had mastered the scale correctly.
So if you want your muscles to remember the correct notes and fingers, you need to play slowly enough that you are consistently playing the correct notes and fingers. This way you get better results in less time.
It’s also a good idea to practice with a metronome. This will help you stick to a slow speed (it’s harder than you might think!) and achieve an even rhythm.
Often, when students rush their scales, they end up playing them very sloppily. Their 4th and 5th fingers (which are naturally weaker than the other fingers) tend to fail them. As a result, those notes end up mashed together, throwing off the rhythm and also creating an uneven tone.
Practicing slowly with a metronome will help you to avoid this by forcing you to be more mindful of each finger and each note as you play.
Major Scales Resources for Piano
- Piano Adventures Scales and Chord Book 2: One-Octave Scales and Chords
- The Complete Book of Scales, Chords, Arpeggios
- Major Scales for Piano and Keyboard