Learning Ukulele with Curt
Basics the Beyond with Curt Sheller Your "TMI", "Total Music Information" Site…
Learning Ukulele with Curt
Major Scale Fingering - Piano
Scale Fingerings for the 15 Major Scales

Category: Scales Instrument: Piano Subjects(s): Scales • Major • Piano • Ionian

All 2 sample page(s) are viewable on-line.

If you're a registered site member, have verified your email address, and have the correct permissions you can view ALL the pages of this PDF or Samples pages at a larger size using the LearningUkulele.com Online PDF Viewer.

This Download is NOT part of your LearningUkulele.com membership level.

Sign-up for Premium Site Access or Upgrade Your Plan your current access level to download this PDF or your can purchase a copy for download.

After purchasing a PDF , a download link or PDF will be sent to you within 48hrs.

Contact LearningUkulele.com if there are any issues.

Each PDF file is a formatted, high resolution file that prints out great. You'll need a PDF Reader or application capable of viewing PDF files to view the PDF.

NOTE: Download the current PDF file for the latest, complete, and most up-to-date version. As well as additional information not presented on-line.

Members and Active Students need to sign-in to download this lesson's PDF for the complete lesson.

Major Scale Fingering - Piano

Scale fingerings for the 15 Major Scales: C, G, D, A, E, B, F#, C#, F, Bb, Eb, Ab, Db, Gb, Cb.

Additional Content
Available for Premium Site Access Plans Only

Sorry, can't give it ALL away!

This content requires a Basic Access Plan and or enrolled in the Study with Curt - On-line or Private Lesson Program.

To view additional content for this page you'll need to either Sign In or Register or Upgrade to a Premium Site Access Plan.

Even just learning just a few of the common major scales is a good goal for any musician regardless of your main instrument.

You might ask Why only 15 major keys in western tonal music?.

In Western tonal music, there are 15 major keys because of the way the musical system is structured. The major scale is the foundation of tonal music, and it consists of seven different notes, each with its own unique pitch. When you build a major scale, you follow a specific pattern of whole steps ( W ) and half steps ( H ):

W W H W W W H

The 1st major scale is C Major itself (C D E F G A B C`), which has no sharps or flats, making it the most straightforward and fundamental key in Western music. You might have caught that the C was used again, violating our no repeats criteria below, this is to satisfied the need for are ear to hear a finality, a resolution of the scale to it's tonic, in this case C .

Sign-IN — it's FREE — to view, un-blur any additional content for this lesson.

Major Scale Fingering - Piano…

Here's a practical explanation of why there are 15 major keys:

  • In Western music system there are seven letters used – the first letter of the alphabet: ( A B C D E F G ). For the FUll DIatonic Major scale a seven are used, in-order with no skips or repeats.
  • There are 12 different notes in the Western music system (C, C#, D, D#, E, F, F#, G, G#, A, A#, B) — The Enharmonic Equivalents for F and C for determining the major scales and the associated key. Since the pattern for a major scale consists of seven unique notes, if you started on any of the 12 notes and followed the pattern, you would end up with 12 possible major scales.
  • However, to maintain consistent tonal relationships and ensure that each note in the scale has its own unique name (no double sharps or double flats), you can only use certain notes as the starting tonic. These notes are the white keys on a piano, which include the letters A through G without any sharps or flats.
  • Therefore, starting on each of these 7 white keys (A, B, C, D, E, F, G) and following the pattern of whole and half steps, you will get 7 unique major scales.

7 (unique starting notes) x 2 (versions of the same scale with Enharmonic Equivalents ) and teh C Major scale = 15 major scales

In summary, there are 15 major keys in Western tonal music because of the combination of the 7 unique starting notes and the requirement for consistent tonal relationships and unique note names in the scales. These 15 keys form the basis of much of Western classical and popular music.

Download the PDF file for the latest, complete, and most up-to-date version. As well as additional information not presented on-line.
End of Lesson - Thanks, Hope You Enjoyed It!

Related Lessons, Videos, Lesson Series, Songs, Books & Reference Charts, Resources & Assets, Workshops are below.

Related Lessons
Related Lessons for Major Scale Fingering - Piano.
ML00
Music Basics

This series of lessons lays the foundation for the understanding of how music works – “The Principles of Music”. The lessons include information on understanding intervals, steps, Enharmonic Equivalents, the major scale, key signatures.

ML04
Intervals

An interval is the distance between two notes. An interval has a name and a type. Intervals can be played melodically, ascending or descending. Or played harmonically by playing both notes at the same time. An interval can be inverted. Intervals can be diatonic to a scale or chromatic and not from a scale.

Related Lesson Series
Related Lessons Series for Major Scale Fingering - Piano.
Key Signatures

In this comprehensive Series of Lesson (Series), we delve into all 15 major and relative minor keys, exploring their primary and secondary chords, along with sample common chord progressions.

Music Basics

Lessons in the General Music series. The principles of how music works.

Understanding Intervals

An interval is the distance between two notes. An interval has a name and a type. Intervals can be played one note (melodic) or two notes (harmonic) at a time, ascending or descending.

Related Songs
Related Songs for Major Scale Fingering - Piano.
ANYSONG
Any Song Will Do

This is not really a song, but simply saying that for the purposes of a lot of the lessons and lesson series on this site ANY song will do for exploring the lesson's material and concepts presented in the lesson.

Related Books & Charts
Related Books for Major Scale Fingering - Piano.
RMA1
Harmonic Analysis for Scale Selection and Chord Substitution

Harmonic Analysis is the understanding of the functional sequence of chords. It is the process used to analyze the harmonic structure of a progression, song or composition. This analysis is then used to make scale selections for improvisation and chord substitution.

RMA1CH
Harmonic Analysis Major and Minor Harmonized Chord Chart

Harmonic Analysis Major and Minor Harmonized Chord Chart for ALL 15 major and minor keys.

RMACH1-KEY-CYCLE
Key Signatures - Circle of Fourths and Fifths - ANSI A

A handy reference chart of all 15 major and relative minor key signatues. US Letter 8.5 x 11 sized.

PM1
Daily Practice Material for the Contemporary Musician

Daily Practice Material for the Contemporary Musician is an organized collection of daily practice and reference material for the contemporary ukulele player. This material can be used to develop the vocabulary and knowledge necessary for single note playing.

A Selection of Books & Reference Charts that are recommended for creating a solid foundation with your chosen instrument and music in general.
These are books & reference charts that apply to a majority of all lessons on LearningUkulele.com / Learning Ukulele with Curt.
Learning the Ukulele Fingerboard – C Tuning

Finally, learn the names of the notes of the fingerboard.

Six Secrets of the Ukulele Fingerboard – C Tuning

Learn the six fingering principles to navigating the ukulele fingerboard. Fingering is one of the most universal topics.

Harmonic Analysis for Scale Selection and Chord Substitution

Harmonic Analysis is the understanding of the functional sequence of chords. It is the process used to analyze the harmonic structure of a progression, song or composition.

Ukulele – Reading Music Series – Primer

Learn to read single note melodies in the first/open position is a lot easier than you might think.

Daily Practice Material for the Contemporary Ukulele

An organized collection of daily practice and reference material for the contemporary ukulele player for developing the vocabulary and knowledge necessary for single note playing.

Checkout the Books for additional Handy, Dandy Reference Charts.

Reference Charts

Ukulele Fingerboard Chart for C Tuning, Low or High G - G C E A

Ukulele Fingerboard Chart for C Tuning, Low or High G – G C E A

Ukulele Fingerboard Chart for G Tuning, Low or High A – D G B E

Ukulele Fingerboard Chart for G Tuning, Low or High A – D G B E

Circle of Fourths and Fifths – ANSI A & A4 sizes

A handy reference chart of all 15 major and relative minor key signatures. US Letter 8.5 x 11 sized (ANSI-A), A4

Checkout the Books for additional Handy, Dandy Reference Charts.

Related Lesson Files, Resources and Assets
Related Assets for Major Scale Fingering - Piano.
WEB_CONTENT_ONLY
Piano Major Scale Fingerings - MuseScore File

MuseScore file of the lesson. MuseScore is a scorewriter for Windows, macOS, and Linux supporting a wide variety of file formats and input methods. It is released as free and open-source software under the GNU General Public License. MuseScore is accompanied by a freemium mobile score viewer and playback app, and an online score sharing platform.

🚀 🚧 End of Site Content 🚧 🌍
NOTE: PICS ARE FROM VARIOUS SOURCES. FAIR USE NOTICE:: This site contains images of which have not been pre-authorized. This material is made available for the purpose of analysis, teaching, comment and critique. The 'fair use' of such material is provided for under U.S. Copyright Law. In accordance with U.S. Code Title 17, Section 107, material on this site (along with credit and attributions to original sources) is viewable for educational and intellectual purposes - (frwebgate.access.gpo.gov). If you are interested in using any copyrighted material from this site for any reason that goes beyond 'fair use,' you must first obtain permission from the copyright owner.
On the web since 1992 and a Mac since 1987 (Mac II) • Serving up Ukulele content since 2003 ( 22 years ago ) • Lets Kanikapila!!! v12.13.0 (8.2.23) • And, since Sept 2020, happily on Pop!_OS Linux and a System76 Thelio. Half the cost of the iMac and a real treat to use. I use it for ALL development work. Only wish the Affinity Suite of apps by serif where available on Linux (and I do know you can run them in Wine with a few hacks).
This sit has ben profesionaly red. awl tpyos aree free and no aditonal chrge • I'm blaming it on “jazz” fingers. “Aoccdrnig to rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be at the rghit pclae. The rset can be a toatl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit a porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe.
Site developed, coded, and maintained by Curt Sheller, Curt Sheller Publications and hosted on DigitalOcean, eCommerce using stripe, managed using Laravel Forge, and analytics (which we DO NOT share) by Plausible.
Made with by Curt Sheller for LearningUkulele.com / Learning Ukulele with Curt and the ukulele community • © 1992 - 2026 Curt Sheller