Start with C major: C–D–E–F–G–A–B–C. Choose another tonic to compare its notes. The final C repeats the first note one octave higher; it is not an eighth distinct scale degree.
Piano Scales: Notes, Patterns and Practice References
Compare major and minor scale notes, explore other scale types, and check the exact form before practicing.
Current scale
C Major
C – D – E – F – G – A – B – C
Semitone steps: 2 – 2 – 1 – 2 – 2 – 2 – 1
Ascending
Fingering from the listed sources| Notes | C4 | D4 | E4 | F4 | G4 | A4 | B4 | C5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fingers | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
Keyboard
C4 to C5C4C#4Db4D4D#4Eb4E4F4F#4Gb4G4G#4Ab4A4A#4Bb4B4C5
Sources and checking scope
- Berklee PULSE: C Major Scale – Piano Notes & PracticeChecked for: C major note spelling and its key signature.
- LearnMusicTheory.net / High-Yield Music Theory: Major and Natural Minor Scales for Piano with FingeringsChecked for: C major one-octave note spelling and fingering for both hands, ascending and descending.
- Music Fun / Beatrice Wilder: Major Scale Fingering Charts for KeyboardsChecked for: Independent comparison of that one-octave fingering for both hands and directions.
This release prints the current one-octave reference. It does not claim an all-scales or two-hand beginner PDF collection.
PianoGrid
C Major
Current scale
C Major
C – D – E – F – G – A – B – C
Semitone steps: 2 – 2 – 1 – 2 – 2 – 2 – 1
Ascending
Fingering from the listed sources| Notes | C4 | D4 | E4 | F4 | G4 | A4 | B4 | C5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fingers | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
Keyboard
C4 to C5C4C#4Db4D4D#4Eb4E4F4F#4Gb4G4G#4Ab4A4A#4Bb4B4C5
Sources and checking scope
- Berklee PULSE: C Major Scale – Piano Notes & Practice (https://pulse.berklee.edu/scales/c-major-scale.html)Checked for: C major note spelling and its key signature.
- LearnMusicTheory.net / High-Yield Music Theory: Major and Natural Minor Scales for Piano with Fingerings (https://learnmusictheory.net/PDFs/pdffiles/01-02-07-ScalesforPiano.pdf)Checked for: C major one-octave note spelling and fingering for both hands, ascending and descending.
- Music Fun / Beatrice Wilder: Major Scale Fingering Charts for Keyboards (https://www.musicfun.net.au/pdf_files/scale_fingering_maj.pdf)Checked for: Independent comparison of that one-octave fingering for both hands and directions.
Current one-octave reference. Finger numbers appear only for the hand and direction combinations covered by the sources listed above.
Piano scales: choose a sound, then a starting note
Read the pattern
For a major scale, move by whole, whole, half, whole, whole, whole, half steps. A whole step spans two adjacent-key steps; a half step spans one. Keep the note spelling shown for the chosen key. Fifteen conventional major-key spellings in this chart represent twelve tonic pitch classes on an equal-tempered keyboard.
| Starting note | Notes, tonic to tonic |
|---|---|
| C | C – D – E – F – G – A – B – C |
| Db | Db – Eb – F – Gb – Ab – Bb – C – Db |
| D | D – E – F# – G – A – B – C# – D |
| Eb | Eb – F – G – Ab – Bb – C – D – Eb |
| E | E – F# – G# – A – B – C# – D# – E |
| F | F – G – A – Bb – C – D – E – F |
| F# | F# – G# – A# – B – C# – D# – E# – F# |
| G | G – A – B – C – D – E – F# – G |
| Ab | Ab – Bb – C – Db – Eb – F – G – Ab |
| A | A – B – C# – D – E – F# – G# – A |
| Bb | Bb – C – D – Eb – F – G – A – Bb |
| B | B – C# – D# – E – F# – G# – A# – B |
| Cb | Cb – Db – Eb – Fb – Gb – Ab – Bb – Cb |
| Gb | Gb – Ab – Bb – Cb – Db – Eb – F – Gb |
| C# | C# – D# – E# – F# – G# – A# – B# – C# |
| Form | Semitone steps |
|---|---|
| major | 2 – 2 – 1 – 2 – 2 – 2 – 1 |
| natural minor | 2 – 1 – 2 – 2 – 1 – 2 – 2 |
| harmonic minor | 2 – 1 – 2 – 2 – 1 – 3 – 1 |
| melodic minor classical | 2 – 1 – 2 – 2 – 2 – 2 – 1 |
Choose the minor form
A natural minor uses A–B–C–D–E–F–G. Harmonic minor raises G to G♯. Classical melodic minor raises F and G on the way up and returns to the natural-minor notes on the way down. Select the form before comparing, listening, or printing.
| Form | Ascending | Descending |
|---|---|---|
| Natural minor | A – B – C – D – E – F – G – A | A – G – F – E – D – C – B – A |
| Harmonic minor | A – B – C – D – E – F – G# – A | A – G# – F – E – D – C – B – A |
| Melodic minor (classical exercise) | A – B – C – D – E – F# – G# – A | A – G – F – E – D – C – B – A |
Same notes or same tonic?
C major and A natural minor share a note collection but organize it around different tonics. C major and C minor start on the same tonic; C natural minor lowers E, A and B to E♭, A♭ and B♭.
Give each note a job
In C major the degrees are C tonic, D supertonic, E mediant, F subdominant, G dominant, A submediant and B leading tone. In natural minor, degree seven is a whole step below the tonic and is called the subtonic.
| Degree | Name |
|---|---|
| 1 | tonic |
| 2 | supertonic |
| 3 | mediant |
| 4 | subdominant |
| 5 | dominant |
| 6 | submediant |
| 7 | leading tone |
A few jazz scale examples
Compare C Dorian (C D E♭ F G A B♭), C Mixolydian (C D E F G A B♭), and C blues (C E♭ F G♭ G B♭). Bebop dominant adds a major seventh to Mixolydian; C B B♭ A G F E D C gives a descending example. The choice of notes still depends on the musical context.
| Example | Notes |
|---|---|
| C Dorian | C – D – Eb – F – G – A – Bb |
| C Mixolydian | C – D – E – F – G – A – Bb |
| C blues | C – Eb – F – Gb – G – Bb |
| C bebop dominant | C5 – B4 – Bb4 – A4 – G4 – F4 – E4 – D4 – C4 |
Continue with a different type
Use the modes page to compare seven diatonic modes. Pentatonic and blues pages show their own note collections. Chromatic practice moves through every neighboring key. Harmonic major has its own reference page; it is not another name for harmonic minor.
Try one comparison
Pick two examples and name the notes that change. Play one hand at a time at a pace you can follow. Keep the tonic visible in the result. When a fingering is available, use only its stated hand, direction and octave range; a blank field is not an invitation to reuse another scale’s fingering.
Print the selected reference
The print view should name the tonic, scale form, direction and range, and show exactly the notes in the result. Finger numbers belong on the printout only when that combination has been checked. See the individual scale reference for its available fingering.
The current one-octave selection can be printed from the explorer. An all-scales or two-hand beginner PDF is not included in this release.