All Major Scales on the Piano
Notes and fingerings of all major scales
Why Major Scales Are So Important
Major scales form the foundation of almost every musical style. Whether classical, pop, jazz or film music – if you have mastered the twelve major scales, you will develop better finger technique and a deeper understanding of harmony, and you will find your way around the keyboard more easily.
Played over one octave, a scale consists of eight notes. The first and the last note have the same name but are one octave apart.
In this article, you will find all twelve major scales with the corresponding fingerings for the right and left hand. Click the name of a scale to open its own article with sheet music, intervals and practice tips.
C Major
Notes:
C – D – E – F – G – A – B – C
Right hand:
1 – 2 – 3 – 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5
Left hand:
5 – 4 – 3 – 2 – 1 – 3 – 2 – 1
G Major
Notes:
G – A – B – C – D – E – F# – G
Right hand:
1 – 2 – 3 – 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5
Left hand:
5 – 4 – 3 – 2 – 1 – 3 – 2 – 1
D Major
Notes:
D – E – F# – G – A – B – C# – D
Right hand:
1 – 2 – 3 – 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5
Left hand:
5 – 4 – 3 – 2 – 1 – 3 – 2 – 1
A Major
Notes:
A – B – C# – D – E – F# – G# – A
Right hand:
1 – 2 – 3 – 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5
Left hand:
5 – 4 – 3 – 2 – 1 – 3 – 2 – 1
E Major
Notes:
E – F# – G# – A – B – C# – D# – E
Right hand:
1 – 2 – 3 – 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5
Left hand:
5 – 4 – 3 – 2 – 1 – 3 – 2 – 1
You can find more about the structure, key signature and exercises in the article on the E major scale.
B Major
Notes:
B – C# – D# – E – F# – G# – A# – B
Right hand:
1 – 2 – 3 – 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5
Left hand:
4 – 3 – 2 – 1 – 4 – 3 – 2 – 1
F# Major
Notes:
F# – G# – A# – B – C# – D# – E# – F#
Right hand:
2 – 3 – 4 – 1 – 2 – 3 – 1 – 2
Left hand:
4 – 3 – 2 – 1 – 3 – 2 – 1 – 4
Db Major
Notes:
Db – Eb – F – Gb – Ab – Bb – C – Db
Right hand:
2 – 3 – 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 1 – 2
Left hand:
3 – 2 – 1 – 4 – 3 – 2 – 1 – 3
Ab Major
Notes:
Ab – Bb – C – Db – Eb – F – G – Ab
Right hand:
3 – 4 – 1 – 2 – 3 – 1 – 2 – 3
Left hand:
3 – 2 – 1 – 4 – 3 – 2 – 1 – 3
Eb Major
Notes:
Eb – F – G – Ab – Bb – C – D – Eb
Right hand:
3 – 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 1 – 2 – 3
Left hand:
3 – 2 – 1 – 4 – 3 – 2 – 1 – 3
Bb Major
Notes:
Bb – C – D – Eb – F – G – A – Bb
Right hand:
2 – 1 – 2 – 3 – 1 – 2 – 3 – 4
Left hand:
3 – 2 – 1 – 4 – 3 – 2 – 1 – 3
F Major
Notes:
F – G – A – Bb – C – D – E – F
Right hand:
1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 1 – 2 – 3 – 4
Left hand:
5 – 4 – 3 – 2 – 1 – 3 – 2 – 1
Tips for Practicing Scales
- Play each scale slowly and evenly at first.
- Keep your hands loose and your shoulders relaxed.
- Practice each hand separately at first.
- Then play both hands together.
- Always use the fingerings given.
- Practice each scale ascending and descending.
- Only increase the tempo once the movements feel secure.
Conclusion
The twelve major scales are the foundation for every kind of music – they are not music yet, but they are an important building block of music. Once you really have the scales under your fingers, you not only improve your technique, but also develop a better understanding of chords, harmony and improvisation.
I always recommend a few minutes of daily scale practice to my students – practiced correctly over a longer period of time, this can make a noticeable difference.