C major scale on piano

The notes of the C major scale

C D E F G A B

Formula: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7. Steps from note to note: 2 2 1 2 2 2 1 semitones (whole, whole, half, whole, whole, whole, half).

C major has no sharps or flats. Its relative minor, with the same notes, is A minor.

In Hz, from C4: C4 261.6 · D4 293.7 · E4 329.6 · F4 349.2 · G4 392.0 · A4 440.0 · B4 493.9.

The C major scale on the piano

White keys: C D E F G A B; no black keys.

Fingering for one octave up: right hand 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5, left hand 5 4 3 2 1 3 2 1 (1 = thumb). The same fingers come back down.

The thumb under

C major is the first scale on the piano because it has no black keys; the only skill is the thumb. In the right hand play C D E with 1 2 3, tuck the thumb under to F and carry on 1 2 3 4 5. In the left hand it goes the other way, the 3rd finger crossing over the thumb onto A. Practise hands apart before hands together.

More scales

Major scale on piano C major scale on guitar C major scale on bass C major scale on ukulele C major scale on trumpet G♯ major scale on piano C major: scale and chords

How this page works

Hear it plays the scale up and down at 100 BPM on one of four Brumm sounds. Take it gives the same notes as a MIDI file and a WAV. − and + move the root. Every note here is computed from the formula.

Sources

Scales and modes: Open Music Theory, musictheory.net. Piano fingerings: the standard scale-book fingerings (ABRSM scale books; Hanon, The Virtuoso Pianist, part 3). Trumpet valves: the standard B♭ trumpet fingering chart (Yamaha, Bach). Hz: A4 = 440 Hz, ISO 16.

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