Chapter 4
Major scales are a fundamental building block in music. They are a specific pattern of musical notes that sound bright, happy, and uplifting. A major scale is like a musical "recipe" that tells you which notes to play in a certain order.
This pattern of tones and semitones /steps and half steps (the distances between the notes) gives major scales their characteristic happy and bright sound. Different major scales start on different notes, but they all follow the same pattern of whole and half steps to create that joyful sound.
D Major Scale
Value on the Rectangle of Fifths:
2 = 2 Sharps
Setting on Tonic at D, we can build the D Major Scale.
Sharp Positions:
the first black position of the Fork
the first black position of the Chopsticks
A Major Scale
Value on the Rectangle of Fifths:
3 = 3 Sharps
Setting on Tonic at A, we can build the A Major Scale.
Sharp Positions:
the first black position of the Chopsticks
the first and second black position of the Fork
E Major Scale
Value on the Rectangle of Fifths:
4 = 4 Sharps
Setting on Tonic at E, we can build the A Major Scale.
Sharp Positions:
the first two black positions of the fork
the two black positions of the chopsticks.
B Major Scale
Value on the Rectangle of Fifths:
5 = 5 Sharps
Setting on Tonic at B, we can build the B Major Scale.
Sharp Positions:
All five black positions
F Major Scale
Value on the Rectangle of Fifths:
-1 = 1 Flat ♭
Setting on Tonic at F, we can build the F Major Scale.
Flat Position:
The last black position of the fork.
TIP: For negative values, the flat ♭ position starts at the highest white keyboard position value: keyboard position 5.
Let’s Recap
Tonic at keyboard position 0, “C”
There is not a sharp ♯ note. All natural white positions
Tonic at keyboard position 1, “G”
There is 1 sharp ♯ note.
The first black position of the fork.
Tonic at keyboard position 2, “D”
There are 2 sharp ♯ notes.
The first black position of the fork and the first black position of the chopsticks.
Tonic at keyboard position 3, “A”
There are three sharp ♯ notes.
The first two black positions of the Fork and the first black position of the chopsticks.
Tonic at keyboard position 4, “E”
There are four sharp ♯ notes.
The first two black positions of the fork and the two black positions of the chopsticks.
Tonic at keyboard position 5, “B”
There are five sharp ♯ notes. All five black positions.
Tonic at keyboard position -1, “F”
There is one flat ♭ position in this key.
For negative values, the flat ♭ position starts at the highest white keyboard position value: keyboard position 5. The last black position of the fork.