Piano Major Scales

This list of major scales will help you understand music scales on the piano. Containing 7 notes, these form heptatonic scales. There has been an additional note added at the end of each scale that represents the beginning of the scale in the next octave up (which is just the same scale in a higher pitch).

The Key: The key is what each scale starts on and is built from, this is known as the tonic. Each key is highlighted in blue in the text of each major scale. Each note included in the scale is highlighted in blue on each major scale's piano diagram below.

Flat (♭) and sharp (♯) scales: All of the sharp and flat major scales are in the right column, next to their natural counterpart. The reason a scale can be a sharp or a flat (for example: C♯ / D♭ Major) is that these are the same note, just a different way of expressing it. It's important to exclusively use either sharps or flats in a single scale.

Fingerings: 1 = Thumb, 2 = Index Finger, 3 = Middle Finger, 4 = Ring Finger, 5 = Little (pinky) Finger.

Traditionally, scales should only have one instance of every note. But, to spare you the details of learning about double-sharps, some notes have been written differently.

C Major
C , D , E , F , G , A , B , C
C Major Scale (Heptatonic) on the Piano. Piano scale diagram.
D Major
D , E , F♯ , G , A , B , C♯ , D
D Major Scale (Heptatonic) on the Piano. Piano scale diagram.
E Major
E , F♯ , G♯ , A , B , C♯ , D♯ , E
E Major Scale (Heptatonic) on the Piano. Piano scale diagram.
F Major
F , G , A , B♭ , C , D , E , F
F Major Scale (Heptatonic) on the Piano. Piano scale diagram.
G Major
G , A , B , C , D , E , F♯ , G
G Major Scale (Heptatonic) on the Piano. Piano scale diagram.
A Major
A , B , C♯ , D , E , F♯ , G♯ , A
A Major Scale (Heptatonic) on the Piano. Piano scale diagram.
B Major
B , C♯ , D♯ , E , F♯ , G♯ , A♯ , B
B Major Scale (Heptatonic) on the Piano. Piano scale diagram.
C♯ Major
C♯ , D♯ , E♯ , F♯ , G♯ , A♯ , B♯ , C♯
D♭ Major
D♭ , E♭ , F , G♭ , A♭ , B♭ , C , D♭
C♯ Major Scale (Heptatonic) on the Piano. Piano scale diagram. This scale is also known as D♭ Major.
D♯ Major
D♯ , F , G , G♯ , A♯ , C , D , D♯
E♭ Major
E♭ , F , G , A♭ , B♭ , C , D , E♭
D♯ Major Scale (Heptatonic) on the Piano. Piano scale diagram. This scale is also known as E♭ Major.
F♯ Major
F♯ , G♯ , A♯ , B , C♯ , D♯ , E♯ , F♯
G♭ Major
G♭ , A♭ , B♭ , C♭ , D♭ , E♭ , F , G♭
F♯ Major Scale (Heptatonic) on the Piano. Piano scale diagram. This scale is also known as G♭ Major.
G♯ Major
G♯ , A♯ , B♯ , C♯ , D♯ , F , G , G♯
A♭ Major
A♭ , B♭ , C , D♭ , E♭ , F , G , A♭
G♯ Major Scale (Heptatonic) on the Piano. Piano scale diagram. This scale is also known as A♭ Major.
A♯ Major
A♯ , C , D , D♯ , F , G , A , A♯
B♭ Major
B♭ , C , D , E♭ , F , G , A , B♭
A♯ Major Scale (Heptatonic) on the Piano. Piano scale diagram. This scale is also known as B♭ Major.