Piano Scales

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.

Choose a tonic - the note the scale is organized around - and a scale type. Start with C major, or choose a minor form to compare its changed notes.

The final tonic completes the octave. In the major and minor forms shown here there are seven different scale degrees, not eight.

The range shows which octave this reference uses. Finger numbers describe the selected hand and direction; they are not scale-degree numbers.

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.

A major scale follows Whole - Whole - Half - Whole - Whole - Whole - Half, or 2 - 2 - 1 - 2 - 2 - 2 - 1 semitones, from one tonic to the next.

A half step moves to the next piano key, whether that key is white or black. A whole step is two half steps. Keep the spelling for the key you chose: F-sharp major includes E-sharp, even though E-sharp uses the same piano key as F.

This chart keeps fifteen conventional major-key spellings. Some share piano keys, so it represents twelve tonic pitch classes rather than fifteen different starting-key positions.

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.

Minor does not identify one unchanging note list. Check the form before you play or print.

In the classical melodic-minor exercise, the sixth and seventh degrees are raised while ascending and return to the natural-minor form while descending. The descending line is written in the order you play it, from the upper tonic to the lower tonic.

Jazz melodic minor commonly retains the raised sixth and seventh in both directions. That convention is not the selected classical exercise mode here, and neither convention dictates every note in every real melody.

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.

A note name tells you which note is meant, such as C or F-sharp. An octave number, as in C4, places it in a register. A scale degree describes a note position relative to the tonic. A finger number describes which finger a particular hand reference uses.

Finger 1 is the thumb; 2 is the index finger; 3 is the middle finger; 4 is the ring finger; and 5 is the little finger. Do not read a finger row as scale degrees.

In natural minor, the seventh degree lies a whole step below the tonic and is called the subtonic. A raised seventh a half step below the tonic can function as a leading tone.

Each fingering belongs to a specific scale, form, hand, direction and one-octave range. A blank fingering is not an invitation to borrow numbers from another scale. Showing both hand references does not mean the tool listens to two-handed playing or teaches contrary motion.

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♭.

C major: C-D-E-F-G-A-B-C

C natural minor: C-D-E-flat-F-G-A-flat-B-flat-C

C major and A natural minor use the same seven note names: C, D, E, F, G, A and B. Their tonics are different. They are a relative major/minor pair, not two names for the same tonic.

That shared collection does not describe every A-minor form. A harmonic minor includes G-sharp, and the ascending classical melodic form includes F-sharp and G-sharp.

C major and C natural minor share the tonic C. C natural minor lowers E, A and B to E-flat, A-flat and B-flat. These are parallel scales. Starting a melody on a note does not, by itself, prove which tonic its context establishes.

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.

Modes, pentatonic scales, blues scales, chromatic scales and harmonic major are different reference topics - not hand settings. The interactive selector currently covers major, natural minor, harmonic minor and classical melodic minor.

Pentatonic examples use five different notes. A common minor-blues pattern has six. A chromatic octave includes all twelve pitch classes. A renderer or practice question must not assume every scale has seven different notes.

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.

An example is not a promise that every note will fit every chord or phrase. Choose notes with the harmony, rhythm and musical context in mind. These examples do not add new playable types to the selector above.

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.

Test the selected scale with a note-selection question or an ordered-note question. The page checks your answer on this website; it does not listen to your piano.

For a classical melodic-minor selection, you can also compare two descending patterns. The question states the convention so the task has a clear answer.

Choose one hand and a comfortable pulse. Listen to the reference, then try a single pass while naming the notes. The pulse, highlighted notes and optional sound are a guide; completion is self-reported and no playing accuracy is measured.

Start with 60 BPM, 1 note per beat, a 4-beat count-in and 1 pass. The staff is a pitch reference; the pulse controls timing.

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.

Print current reference includes the selected scale, form, hand, direction, range, notes, available fingering and source notes. A notes-only section stays notes-only in print.

C Major & A Minor - One-Octave Piano Reference contains C major plus natural, harmonic and classical melodic A minor, with right- and left-hand references shown separately. It is not an all-scales or two-octave book.

Piano Scale Notes - Practice Worksheet contains three short note-reading tasks, a separate answer section and space to record your own practice.

Use Open Music Theory for scale patterns and terminology, the University of Puget Sound material for the jazz-related examples, and each named fingering source only for the hands, directions and ranges stated beside that reference. A citation is not a claim that a teacher has reviewed this website or your hand position.