Key of A: A B C# D E F# G# A
Below is the pattern for the Major scale using whole and half steps.
W= whole step, h = half step, m3 = 3 half steps ( or a whole step + a half step ).
W W h W W W h
A ^ B ^ C# ^ D ^ E ^ F# ^ G# ^ A
Half steps: on a piano, are the distance between any two adjacent keys, white or black.
Whole steps: a whole-step is two half-steps combined. A whole-step above a key on the piano is two keys to its right, while a whole-step below a key on the piano is two keys to its left.
The Major scale is the most recognizable of all the scales we use. You have been hearing it from the moment you were born, it plays a part in our lives without you even knowing it. Happy, bright, airy and content, are words to describe this scale. From the Greeks, it is known as the Ionian mode. In Carnatic music, it is known as Sankarabharanam. In Hindustani classical music, it is known as Bilaval. It consists of seven notes with the eighth note being the same as the first but up one octave. It is a Diatonic scale. If all else fails, think of the song Do-Re-Mi from “The Sound of Music”.
