The major scale on the guitar in the key of B♭
The Natural Major scale, also known as the Ionian mode, is one of the most commonly used scales in Western music. It has a bright, happy, and uplifting sound, making it a staple in genres like pop, rock, and classical music. This scale is often the first one musicians learn due to its straightforward structure and pleasing tonal quality.
In terms of usage, the Natural Major scale forms the foundation of many melodies and harmonies. It's frequently used in songwriting to create catchy and memorable tunes. Composers and arrangers rely on this scale to evoke feelings of joy and optimism, making it a go-to choice for upbeat and celebratory pieces.
Beyond its use in melodies, the Natural Major scale is also essential for building chords and chord progressions. Major chords and their variations are derived from this scale, providing a harmonic framework that supports a wide range of musical styles. Whether you're playing a simple folk song or a complex symphony, the Natural Major scale is a versatile and indispensable tool.
Switch between chromatic/diatonic/notes below to see/learn the relations between them. For convenience, the root note (B♭) is highlighted in red.
The major scale explained for guitar players
Once you learned about Intervals you are ready to learn the scales. Scales are a selection of the 12 notes from the "chromatic" scale (which is just a fancy name for all the 12 notes). Scales are constructed with stepped intervals.
The relative steps of the major scale are: w-w-h-w-w-w-h (w=whole step, h=half step).
Let's explore how that exactly works:
major scale in chromatic intervals
To explain the the major scale best, take a look at the piano. Especially to the white notes. Those are the notes in the major scale. Here is how it looks on piano:
Notice the numbers of the white notes.
Schematically they look like this scheme below:
major scale in diatonic intervals
If we would re-number the red highlighted notes from previous section, we get the major scale , which looks like this on piano:
Notice again the numbers of the white notes.
Schematically they look like this scheme below:
Musical step names
The steps (also known as conjunct motion) of a diatonic scale are known by these names:- 1st – Tonic (key or root note)
- 2nd – Supertonic
- 3rd – Mediant
- 4th – Subdominant
- 5th – Dominant
- 6th – Submediant
- 7th – Leading tone
- 8th – Tonic (Octave)
What is the scale degree of major scale?
The scale degree tells how the scale is transformed.
The relative steps of the major scale are: w-w-h-w-w-w-h
There are no flats or sharps in this scale. If you scroll back to the piano above, you'll notice the white keys correspond to this.
What does diatonic mean?
The term "diatonic" refers to a scale that uses a mix of whole steps and half steps. When we say "diatonic," we mean notes that belong to the scale. For example, if you're playing in the key of B♭ major and using B♭ major notes, those notes are diatonic.
In the piano example above, you saw that only the notes from the scale are used. This means they only include notes "of the scale." Knowing about diatonic notes is important for understanding music theory and making melodies that sound good.
Using diatonic notes helps musicians keep their music in key, making it sound smooth and pleasant. Understanding diatonic notes will improve your musical skills and creativity.
| Scale name | Interval | Degree | Steps |
|---|---|---|---|
| Major scale | 1, 3, 5, 6, 8, 10, 12 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 | w-w-h-w-w-w-h |
| Minor scale | 1, 3, 4, 6, 8, 9, 11 | 1, 2, ♭3, 4, 5, ♭6, ♭7 | w-h-w-w-h-w-w |
| Melodic minor scale | 1, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12 | 1, 2, ♭3, 4, 5, 6, 7 | w-h-w-w-w-w-h |
| Harmonic minor scale | 1, 3, 4, 6, 8, 9, 12 | 1, 2, ♭3, 4, 5, ♭6, 7 | w-h-w-w-h-wh-h |
| Minor blues scale | 1, 4, 6, 7, 8, 11 | 1, ♭3, 4, ♭5, 5, ♭7 | wh-w-h-h-wh-w |
| Major blues scale | 1, 4, 6, 7, 8, 11 | 1, 2, ♭3, 3, 5, 6 | wh-w-h-h-wh-w |
| Minor pentatonic scale | 1, 4, 6, 8, 11 | 1, ♭3, 4, 5, ♭7 | wh-w-w-wh-w |
| Major pentatonic scale | 1, 3, 5, 8, 10 | 1, 2, 3, 5, 6 | w-w-wh-w-wh |
| Overview of more scales | |||
- Musical Scale Degree
- ♭=half step down, ♯=half step up, ♯♯=whole step up
- Musical Steps
- w=whole step, h=half step, wh=whole and half step
As you might notice, the scales have 7 notes, except for the blues and pentatonic scales.