#atozchallenge: Major

A to Z Challenge 2 Minutes

In Western music, a scale is made up of whole steps and half steps. On the keyboard, pressing a key, then pressing the next adjacent key yields a half step. So, playing C (a white key) and then playing the black key marked C♯/D♭ is a half step, as is playing C♯/D♭ followed by D. Playing all the keys (white and black) from C to the next C, in order, yields a chromatic scale.

C C# D D# E F F# G G# A A# B C

C Db D Eb E F Gb G Ab A Bb B C

Two half-steps make a whole step. If we play from C to C in whole steps, we get a whole-tone scale.

C D E F# G# A# C

C D E Gb Ab Bb C

With me so far? Good!

If I play just the white keys from C to C, I get the C major scale.

C D E F G A B C

Let’s look at the major scale and look at the distances between the notes…

  • C to D – whole step
  • D to E – whole step
  • E to F – half step
  • F to G – whole step
  • G to A – whole step
  • A to B – whole step
  • B to C – half step

Every major scale is built this way (whole, whole, half, whole, whole, whole, half). Let’s start on G and build a major scale.

  • G to A – whole step
  • A to B – whole step
  • B to C – half step
  • C to D – whole step
  • D to E – whole step…

Uh oh… E to F is only a half step, and F to G is a whole step. To switch this around, we need to go from E to F♯ (F♯ is the black key to the right of the F key). That fixes it…

  • E to F♯ – whole step
  • F♯ to G – half step

Let’s do one more: build a major scale starting on F.

  • F to G – whole step
  • G to A – whole step

Uh oh, the distance from A to B is a whole step, so we need to play B♭ (the black key to the left of the B key). That fixes it…

  • A to B♭ – half step
  • B♭ to C – whole step
  • C to D – whole step
  • D to E – whole step
  • E to F – half step

See if you can write out the D major scale.

See you Monday with the letter N!

Published by John Holton

Internet disc jockey, lover of old TV (especially the commercials), inveterate wise guy.

Published

17 thoughts on “#atozchallenge: Major”

  1. Pingback: #atozchallenge: 2023 Reflections – The Sound of One Hand Typing

  2. Hi John – well that’s bemused your commenters – what a great post. I did not know any of this … I must return – cheers Hilary

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  3. Pingback: The Tax Time Week That Was – The Sound of One Hand Typing

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