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The major scale: formula, degrees and all 15 scales

Every major scale follows the same pattern of steps: whole, whole, half, whole, whole, whole, half. Apply it from any note and you get a major scale. In this guide, we'll see where that pattern comes from, why it gives each scale its own number of sharps or flats, and what each degree is called. Then you'll find all fifteen major scales, ready to hear.

Guide8 minUpdated October 2026

The formula: whole, whole, half, whole, whole, whole, half

Let's start at the piano. Play the white keys from C to C: that's C major. Between E and F, and between B and C, there's only a half step. Everywhere else, there's a whole step. The major scale is exactly that sequence.

WorkshopScale BuilderFull screen

Change the starting note, and the tool applies the formula for you and shows which notes need a sharp or a flat.

TonicScale or mode

Steps: 1 1 ½ 1 1 1 ½ (1 = whole step, ½ = half step, 1½ = augmented second)

Scale: C major
Key signature: no sharps or flats
Degrees: 1. tonic · 2. supertonic · 3. mediant · 4. subdominant · 5. dominant · 6. submediant · 7. leading tone
Tetrachords: C D E F | G A B C: two identical tetrachords (whole, whole, half) a whole step apart

Now start on G and apply the formula: G, A, B, C, D, E. After E, you need a whole step, but F natural is too close, so it becomes F♯. That's why G major has one sharp.

Scale degree names

Degree	Name	In C major	Role
1	tonic	C	home, the note of rest
2	supertonic	D	just above the tonic
3	mediant	E	decides major or minor
4	subdominant	F	just below the dominant
5	dominant	G	the most important after the tonic
6	submediant	A	tonic of the relative minor
7	leading tone	B	a half step below the tonic, pulls toward it

All 15 major scales

Why fifteen? There are twelve different pitches, but fifteen written major scales, because three keys can be spelled two ways: B and C♭, F♯ and G♭, and C♯ and D♭.

C major · no accidentals

G major · 1 sharp

D major · 2 sharps

A major · 3 sharps

E major · 4 sharps

B major · 5 sharps

F♯ major · 6 sharps

C♯ major · 7 sharps

F major · 1 flat

B♭ major · 2 flats

E♭ major · 3 flats

A♭ major · 4 flats

D♭ major · 5 flats

G♭ major · 6 flats

C♭ major · 7 flats

Modes of the major scale

Finally, play the notes of C major starting from another note, and you get seven different scales, called the modes. From C, you get Ionian, which is the major scale itself. From D, you get Dorian; from E, Phrygian; from F, Lydian; from G, Mixolydian; from A, Aeolian, which is the natural minor; and from B, Locrian.

Frequently asked questions

What is the major scale formula?

It's whole, whole, half, whole, whole, whole, half. The half steps fall between degrees 3 and 4, and between degrees 7 and 8.

What are the 7 modes of the major scale?

They are Ionian, Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, Mixolydian, Aeolian and Locrian. Each one uses the same notes as the major scale, starting on a different degree.

What is the difference between major and minor scales?

The main difference is the third. A major scale has a major third, two whole steps above the tonic, and a minor scale has a minor third, a step and a half above it. In its natural and harmonic forms, the minor scale also has a minor sixth, and in its natural form, a minor seventh.

How many major scales are there?

There are twelve by sound and fifteen by spelling, because B and C♭, F♯ and G♭, and C♯ and D♭ are enharmonic pairs.

Keep going

Lesson · 14 minTonality and the Origin of the Major Scale Lesson · 5 minThe Names of the Scale Degrees Lesson · 5 minThe Tetrachord Lesson · 7 minThe Diatonic Scale: Whole Steps and Half Steps GuideMinor scale GuideCircle of fifths GuidePiano chords WorkshopScale Builder

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