Piano scales
Pick a starting note and a scale. The keys light up and Hear it plays the scale upward.
Tip: turn your phone sideways for more keys.
What a scale is
A scale is a set of notes played in order from one note up to the same note an octave higher. Each scale is defined by its pattern of whole steps (W, two semitones) and half steps (H, one semitone).
| Scale | Step pattern | Starting on C |
|---|---|---|
| Major | W W H W W W H | C D E F G A B C |
| Natural minor | W H W W H W W | C D E♭ F G A♭ B♭ C |
| Major pentatonic | 5 notes: 1 2 3 5 6 of the major scale | C D E G A C |
| Minor pentatonic | 5 notes: 1 ♭3 4 5 ♭7 | C E♭ F G B♭ C |
Start with C major
C major uses only the white keys, from C to C. That makes it the usual first scale. A minor also uses only white keys, from A to A; it is called the relative minor of C major because the two share the same notes.
Every major scale has seven different note names, each letter used once. That is why the scale of F major is written with B♭ rather than A♯. The note names shown under the piano follow that rule.
Pentatonic scales
Pentatonic scales have five notes per octave. The black keys alone form a pentatonic scale (G♭ major pentatonic, or E♭ minor pentatonic), which is why melodies played only on the black keys rarely sound wrong. Try it on the piano above.