C major scale
C major scale is C – D – E – F – G – A – B, all naturals. Formula 1 2 3 4 5 6 7. Press play and follow the keys.
The notes, one step at a time
From C upward the gaps are W W H W W W H (W = whole step, H = half step). The half steps fall between E–F and B–C.
| Degree | Note | Interval from C | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | C | root | |
| 2 | D | major second | |
| 3 | E | major third | |
| 4 | F | perfect fourth | |
| 5 | G | perfect fifth | |
| 6 | A | major sixth | |
| 7 | B | major seventh |
The sound of C major scale
A major scale sounds like "do re mi". Sing up from C and you have it; the half steps between the 3rd and 4th and the 7th and 8th notes are what make it sound finished at the top.
Listen for the leading tone B, a half step below C. Stop on it and the scale sounds unfinished until C comes back.
Compared with C natural minor scale, C major scale has E, A and B where the other has E♭, A♭ and B♭; the other four notes are shared. Hear C natural minor scale and compare.
Playing C major
All white keys on the piano.
17 notes fit in the box between frets 6 and 12, with C at the 8th fret of the low E string.
The key of C major
Songs in C major are built from these notes, so the key signature has no sharps or flats. The relative minor is A minor: same notes, starting on the 6th degree. The parallel minor, C natural minor, starts on the same note with different notes above it.
Chords and progressions in C major
Chords built on each note
Stack every other note of the scale on each degree and you get 7 chords. These are the chords of the key. Tap to hear each one.
Same notes, different home: D Dorian (starting on the 2nd note, D), E Phrygian (starting on the 3rd note, E), F Lydian (starting on the 4th note, F), G Mixolydian (starting on the 5th note, G), A natural minor (starting on the 6th note, A) and B Locrian (starting on the 7th note, B). Play any of them over a drone on its first note and the mood changes, even though the keys you press don't.
Finding C major on the neck
The root, C, sits at fret 8 on the low E string and 3 and 15 on the A string. Five overlapping fingerings cover the neck, starting near frets 1, 3, 5, 8 and 10 on the low E string. On guitar, learn the box from the 6th-string root first; the same fingering moves anywhere.
On the piano, C major scale uses no black keys at all.
A good drill once the scale is under your fingers: play it in thirds, skipping one note each time. Here that's C–E, D–F, E–G, F–A, G–B, A–C, B–D.
Practice patterns for C major scale
Running a scale straight up and down only teaches the order. These patterns use the same 7 notes and train your ear and fingers to jump around inside C major scale.
- Three-note runs: C D E · D E F · E F G · F G A · G A B · A B C.
- Target B: C B C B C: the 7th, a half step under the root, pulls the ear home.
Scales to compare with C major
Major scale in every key
C major scale: questions
What are the notes of the C major scale?
C, D, E, F, G, A and B, then C again at the octave. Formula: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7.
How many sharps or flats are in the C major scale?
None at all.
What chords are in the C major scale?
Stacking thirds on each note gives C (I), Dm (ii), Em (iii), F (IV), G (V), Am (vi) and Bdim (vii°).
What's the difference between C major scale and C natural minor scale?
E, A and B in C major; E♭, A♭ and B♭ in the other. Everything else is the same.
Generated from the step pattern 2-2-1-2-2-2-1 and checked by the site's tests. Updated September 2026.