A scale is a set of notes in order, from a home note up to the same letter an octave higher. The major and minor scales are the two most used in Western music, and both are built from the same two kinds of step.
The major scale
The major scale has seven different notes; the eighth repeats the first at double the frequency, an octave up. Its steps run whole, whole, half, whole, whole, whole, half. From C that gives C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C: the white keys. The natural major scale is also the Ionian mode, which the next lesson places among the other modes.
The minor scales
There are three common minor scales.
| Scale | Notes | What changes |
|---|---|---|
| Natural minor | A B C D E F G A | Steps: whole, half, whole, whole, half, whole, whole. The Aeolian mode |
| Harmonic minor | A B C D E F G♯ A | The seventh is raised, restoring a leading tone a semitone below the tonic |
| Melodic minor (ascending) | A B C D E F♯ G♯ A | Sixth and seventh raised going up; also called the jazz minor |
The harmonic minor exists because the natural minor has no leading tone, which made a satisfying cadence hard to write. The first fix was simply to raise the seventh.
Relative major and minor
A minor uses the same notes as C major and the same key signature, so the two are called relatives. The major scale sits a third above its relative minor: C is a minor third above A. Both contain the same collection of steps, two semitones and five whole tones, starting in a different place.
Sources
Every date, name, tempo and origin on this page comes from these pages, read on 2026-10-24.