Introduction to Piano Scales for Beginners

Last Updated on October 29, 2023 by Rebecca

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Scales are one of the most important building blocks of music. And practicing them has a host of benefits that will significantly improve your piano playing abilities.

But there is just so much to learn about scales, it can be hard for a beginner to know where to start!

This post breaks it all down for you. It provides an overview of all the different types of scales, lets you know the best piano scales for beginners, and also shares helpful tips about how to practice them without getting overwhelmed.

What is a scale?

A piano scale is simply a group of notes played in ascending and descending order, following a specific pattern or formula.

The formula for any type of scale can be broken down into a pattern half steps and whole steps.

And the great thing about these patterns is that they work no matter what note you start on.

For example, all major scales will follow the same formula. So you can start on any note you want, and as long as you follow the major scale formula of half steps and whole steps, you'll be able to work out the correct notes for your scale.

Similarly, there is a dedicated formula for all natural minor scales, and another for all harmonic minor scales, and another for each of the modal scales, etc., etc.

Which piano scales should a beginner learn first?

I recommend a beginner start by learning the major scales and harmonic minor scales. 

Most commonly, beginners will start by learning the C major and A harmonic minor scales. These scales are typically considered the least intimidating because they use only (or mostly) white keys on the piano, so you don’t have to think much about which sharps or flats to play. 

How many scales are there?

The short answer is that there are 12 major scales and 12 minor scales.

The long answer is that there are actually 15 major scales and 15 minor scales, but some of them are enharmonic. 

This means they look and sound the same on the piano, but are notated differently on the music staff. For example, F# major and Gb major are enharmonic scales. 

The even longer answer is that there are 3 different types of minor scales. So for each of the 12 (or 15!) minor scales, there are 3 different versions. 

In what order should I learn the scales?

I recommend learning scales in pairs, a major scale and its relative harmonic minor scale.

Relative major and minor scales are built based on the same key signature.

For example, C major and A minor are relative scales. They both have 0 sharps and 0 flats. So when notated on the staff, a C major scale and an A minor scale both have the same key signature written at the beginning of the staff. 

The difference is that they start on different notes, and the harmonic minor scale raises the 7th scale degree (more on that below). 

In terms of which major and minor scale pairings to practice first, I like to split the circle of fifths into 3 sections and work through one section at a time. 

Section 1: The Sharp Scales

First, tackle the sharp scales, in this order:

1. C major and A minor
2. G major and E minor
3. D major and B minor
4. A major and F sharp minor
5. E major and C sharp minor

Section 2: The Enharmonic Scales

Then work on the enharmonic scales in this order:

1. B major and G sharp minor
2. D flat major and B flat minor 
3. G flat major and E flat minor

Section 3: The Flat Scales

Finally, learn the flat scales in this order:

1. F major and D minor
2. B flat major and G minor
3. E flat major and C minor
4. A flat major and F minor

Major Scales

Major scales are built using 7 notes, so every note of the musical alphabet is included once. And the first note is played again an octave higher at the top to complete the octave.

Every major scale follows the same pattern of whole steps (W) and half steps (H):

Whole – Whole – Half – Whole – Whole -Whole -Half

So depending on what the starting note of your major scale is, the combination of sharps or flats changes in order to preserve the pattern of whole steps and half steps. 

The ebook Major Scales for Piano and Keyboard provides simple and straighforward cheat sheets for all the major scales.

Minor Scales

Like major scales, minor scales are built using 7 notes, and are played in complete octaves. 

But there are actually 3 different types of minor scales!

• Natural minor scales
• Harmonic minor scales
• Melodic minor scales

The natural minor scale is the basic minor scale, and the harmonic and melodic scales are built by making small adjustments to the natural minor scale. 

I always teach the natural minor scale to my students because it’s so useful in terms of understanding how all 3 types of minor scales work, and how they relate to the relative major scales.

That being said, the minor scale that most people are familiar with is the harmonic minor scale. So if you only want to practice one type of minor scale, pick the harmonic.

Now let’s take a look at each of the 3 types of minor scales.

The Natural Minor Scale

The natural minor scale is built with the following pattern of whole steps and half steps: 

Whole – Half – Whole – Whole – Half – Whole – Whole

The Harmonic Minor Scale

To build a harmonic minor scale, you take the natural minor and raise the 7th scale degree one half step.

For example, in the A natural minor scale, the 7th note is G. In the A harmonic minor scale, you raise that G up to a G#. 

The pattern of whole and half steps used to build the harmonic minor scale is:

Whole – Half – Whole – Whole – Half – (Whole+Half) – Half

The Melodic Minor Scale

The melodic minor scale is interesting because it is played differently ascending than descending. 

On the way up (ascending), you start with the natural minor scale, and you raise both the 6th and 7th notes of the scale.

For example, in the A natural minor scale, the 6th and 7th notes are F and G. So in the ascending portion of the A melodic minor scale, you would raise the F and the G to F# and G#. 

On the way down (descending), you lower the 6th and 7th notes back down, so you end up just playing the natural minor scale. 

So the pattern of whole and half steps in the ascending part of the melodic minor scale is:

Whole – Half – Whole – Whole – Whole -Whole – Half

How do beginners practice piano scales?

There are a few different things to consider when planning how to start practicing scales. 

How many notes should I start with when I practice scales?

I recommend you start by practicing your scales in one octave.

Some teachers recommend starting with pentascales. These are useful for some exploration of the piano, and in some contexts, I do use them with students. But when it comes to establishing a good scales practice routine, you get a lot more value from practicing 1-octave scales than pentascales. 

Should I practice scales hands together or hands separately?

When you’re starting out, you’re better off practicing hands separately. 

If you start with hands together practice, you’ll likely feel overwhelmed because there are just so many things happening in your brain all at once. And on top of that, you’ll likely develop some bad habits because your focus will be divided among so many different things. 

Practicing hands separately will allow you to focus better on all the elements of successful scales practice, so you’ll be able to make sure nothing falls through the cracks in your learning. 

Then, once you’ve mastered hands separately, you can move up to hands together practice. 

Should I memorize my scales or read them from a book?

I always teach scales by rote first.

Knowing what a scale looks like on paper, and therefore being able to easily recognize a scale passage in a piece of music, is a valuable skill. But it’s only one very small part of the benefits that come from practicing scales. 

All the other benefits come from really knowing the scales on a deeper level than just what they look like on paper. So if you can’t play a scale without reading it off the music staff, you don’t really know the scale, and you’re not getting the full benefits from your scales practice. 

For this reason, I always wait until after a student is able to play the scale confidently before I show them what it looks like when notated on the staff.

Some scales books you might like:

• 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

How fast should I try to practice my scales?

As a beginner, you should be practicing your scales very slowly.

And I do mean very slowly.

Much slower than you want to practice them!

It's crucial that you practice slowly enough to get the notes and fingerings accurate every time you practice them, otherwise you're building mistakes into your muscle memory. So practice slowly enough that you have time to think between each note.

You can speed up gradually as you build confidence.

But scales are about more than just notes and fingerings. You also need to work on technique, rhythm, and tone. Which is a lot to have to think about all at the same time!

And yes, it does make a difference if you ignore these “extra” things. Beginners always want to practice scales their scales fast. And they end up sounding sloppy and uneven and… well, pretty bad. 

But not only does a sloppy scale sound bad, it also develops bad habits that will prevent you from ever being able to play your scales as fast as a skilled piano player should.

So start very slowly, and increase the speed as you gain confidence. You'll know you're playing too fast if your tone or rhythm becomes uneven, or if you start to feel any tension in your muscles.

Do I need to practice scales with a metronome?

Yes! You should absolutely practise your scales with a metronome!

Even as a skilled piano player, I still use a metronome during my scales practice sometimes to make sure I’m on the right track.

Developing a strong sense of rhythm and steady beat is crucial to being able to play the piano successfully. And practicing your scales with a metronome allows you to use your scales practice as yet another opportunity to improve your sense of rhythm. 

You may not like practicing with a metronome (most beginners don’t because it feels difficult when you’re not used to it), but it is important that you do.

Ten minutes of practicing with a metronome will get you significantly better results than an entire week of practicing without a metronome. (In fact, practicing without a metronome often takes you backwards. And nobody wants that!)

How much should I practice, and when?

The best time to practice scales is at the beginning of your practice session. Scales are a perfect warm-up to get your fingers, brain, and ears all ready to dive into your piano practice.

As a beginner, you don’t need to spend a lot of time practicing scales. Ten minutes a day is a good amount when you’re starting out. 

Remember, you don’t need to master a scale in a day. It’s a work in progress. So don’t let yourself get into the mindset that you need to sit down and practice a scale until you can play it well.

It only takes a little bit of practice every day to lead to great progress!

How to Memorize Piano Scales

When working on memorizing scales, it’s important to remember that there are 4 aspects of memorization.

Each time you play a scale, pick one of the types of memorization to focus on.

You'll probably find some of the types of memorization come more naturally to you than others, and it's natural to focus more on those that are easier for us.

So make sure you also spend some time practicing the types that aren't as natural to you.

Working on all 4 levels will help you get your memorization much more solid. 

1. Mental memorization

Mental memorization means you know which sharps and flats a scale has, you can name the notes, and you know the fingering pattern.

2. Visual memorization

Visual memorization means you know what a scale looks like on the keys. You know which keys are white, which are black. You know which note to play next, and with which finger, because you can see it in your mind’s eye before you even play it. 

3. Auditory memorization

Auditory memorization means you know what a scale sounds like. When you play a note of the scale, your ear instantly recognizes whether it was the right note or a wrong note. If it’s a wrong note, you can hear whether it was too low or too high in pitch. 

4. Kinesthetic memorization

Kinesthetic memorization means you know what a scale is supposed to feel like when you play it. Your muscle memory knows exactly what movement you need to make so that the correct finger lands on the correct note. You can play the scale accurately with your eyes closed because you know exactly how far away your next note is, and in which direction. 

Why practice piano scales?

There are so many reasons to practice piano scales. Here are some of the benefits of effective scales practice:

• Increased familiarity with key signatures
• Improved piano technique
• Faster and stronger fingers
• Better control
• Stronger sense of rhythm and steady beat
• Better ability to achieve even tone
• Ability to effectively play a wider range of dynamics
• Strong foundation for learning about diatonic chords
• Deeper understanding of music theory
• Strong foundation for learning to compose and improvise melodies and harmonies

Should a beginner learn scales or chords first?

I would argue starting with scales is easier than starting with chords. 

But in terms of which you should learn first, it depends what your piano goals are. 

If you love singing and your goal is to learn to play chords as a backing track so you can sing your favourite songs, then you should learn chords first. 

Scale practice will benefit your overall playing ability, but won’t apply directly to the accompaniment style of playing you’re striving for. 

If you want to learn to play songs and pieces on the piano with full melodies and harmonies, you should start with scales.

Starting with chords won’t set you back, so if you’re really interested in practicing chords first, go for it. But starting with scales will likely be easier and will give you a good foundation (both in terms of knowledge and physical technique) to make practicing chords easier. 

Other Types of Scales

Major and minor scales are some of the more common types of scales today. But they are definitely not the only scales out there! There are several other types of scales for you to learn about when you’re ready to explore other options. 

Pentascales

A pentascale is a 5-note scale built using the first 5 notes of a major or minor scale. It’s also commonly called a 5-finger scale because it can be played by simply using all 5 fingers of your hand without any thumb tucks or crossovers.

The Major Pentascale

A major pentascale follows this pattern:

Whole – Whole – Half – Whole

The Minor Pentascale

A minor pentascale follows this pattern: 

Whole – Half – Whole – Whole

Pentatonic scales

When building pentatonic scales, I find it’s less useful to think of a pattern of whole steps and half steps and more useful to think of scale tones, or notes from the major or minor scale.

(There is a pattern of intervals for pentatonic scales, I just prefer to think in terms of scale degrees for these scales.)

The Major Pentatonic Scale

A major pentatonic scale includes the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 5th, and 6th notes of the major scale. It omits the 4th and 7th notes of the major scale.

For example, a C major pentatonic scale would include the notes CDEGA. It would skip the notes F and B.

The Minor Pentatonic Scale

A minor pentatonic scale includes the 1st, 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 7th notes of the natural minor scale. It omits the 2nd and 6th notes of the natural minor scale.

For example, the A minor pentatonic scale would include the notes ACDEG. It would skip notes B and F.

Blues scales

The Major Blues Scale

A blues scale is a 6-note scale that takes the pentatonic scale and adds what musicians call a blue note.

To build a major blues scale, take your major pentatonic scale (1st, 2nd, 3rd, 5th, and 6th notes of the major scale) and add a flat 3rd. This flat 3rd is the “blue note” of the scale.

For example, the C major pentatonic scale includes the notes CDEGA. The E is the 3rd note of the C major scale. So the flat 3rd we want to add is an Eb. So the C major blues scale includes the notes CD(Eb)EGA.  

The Minor Blues Scale

To build a minor blues scale, take your minor pentatonic scale (1st, 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 7th notes of the natural minor scale) and add a flat 5th. This flat fifth is the “blue note” of the scale.

For example, the A minor pentatonic scale includes the notes ACDEG. The E is the 5th note of the natural A minor scale. So the flat 5th we would add is an Eb. So the A minor blues scale includes the notes ACD(Eb)EG.

Chromatic Scales

In a chromatic scale, every note is one half step apart. Which means you can start on any note you want and move up by half steps. This means you play every black and white key on the piano, in order.

Whole Tone Scales

In a whole tone scale, the interval between every note is a whole tone (or whole step). So just start on whichever note you want, and move up by whole tones.

Modes (or Modal Scales)

Modal scales are often called modes. They are 7-note scales, and each mode has its own unique pattern of whole steps and half steps.

1. Ionian (same as the major scale)
2. Dorian
3. Phrygian
4. Lydian
5. Mixolydian
6. Aeolian (same as the natural minor scale)
7. Locrian

Related Posts:

• Top 5 Tips to Help You Successfully Practice Piano with a Metronome
• How to Practice Piano Chords
• How to Build Any Piano Triad in Seconds
• The 12 Major Scales for Piano and Keyboard