Scales
Piano scales for beginners
A scale is the set of notes a piece of music is built from, played in order. C major is the one to start with because it uses only the white keys, so you can concentrate on your fingers rather than on where the black notes are. Once you know a scale, the notes of any piece in that key are already under your hand and the chords come from the same set.
C · D · E · F · G · A · B Open → ♪ G major
G · A · B · C · D · E · F# Open → ♪ D major
D · E · F# · G · A · B · C# Open → ♪ F major
F · G · A · Bb · C · D · E Open → ♪ A major
A · B · C# · D · E · F# · G# Open → ♪ E major
E · F# · G# · A · B · C# · D# Open → ♪ A natural minor
A · B · C · D · E · F · G Open → ♪ E natural minor
E · F# · G · A · B · C · D Open → ♪ D natural minor
D · E · F · G · A · Bb · C Open → ♪ A harmonic minor
A · B · C · D · E · F · G# Open → ♪ C major pentatonic
C · D · E · G · A Open → ♪ A minor pentatonic
A · C · D · E · G Open →
Questions
Common questions about piano scales
Which piano scale should I learn first?
C major. It is all white keys, so nothing distracts you from the fingering. After that, G major and F major each add a single black key, which makes them the natural next two.
Why do scales use a thumb tuck?
Because you have five fingers and eight notes. Passing the thumb underneath after the third note lets the hand carry on without stopping, and doing it smoothly is most of what scale practice is actually for.
How long should I practise scales?
Five minutes at the start of a session is plenty. Scales are a warm-up and a pattern drill, not the point of playing. Slow and even beats fast and lumpy every time.
What is the difference between a major and a minor scale?
The third note. In a major scale it sits four semitones above the root; in a natural minor it sits three. That one note is what makes major sound bright and minor sound sad, exactly as it does in chords.