Major scales on piano: notes and fingering
Every major scale follows the same pattern: whole, whole, half, whole, whole, whole, half. The table lists the notes and fingering of all 12 major scales, going up one octave. Tap a scale name to practice it now, free, in the browser.
Practice C major nowThe 12 major scales
| Scale | Notes | Right hand | Left hand |
|---|---|---|---|
| C major | C D E F G A B C | 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 | 5 4 3 2 1 3 2 1 |
| G major | G A B C D E F♯ G | 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 | 5 4 3 2 1 3 2 1 |
| D major | D E F♯ G A B C♯ D | 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 | 5 4 3 2 1 3 2 1 |
| A major | A B C♯ D E F♯ G♯ A | 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 | 5 4 3 2 1 3 2 1 |
| E major | E F♯ G♯ A B C♯ D♯ E | 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 | 5 4 3 2 1 3 2 1 |
| B major | B C♯ D♯ E F♯ G♯ A♯ B | 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 | 4 3 2 1 4 3 2 1 |
| F♯ major | F♯ G♯ A♯ B C♯ D♯ E♯ F♯ | 2 3 4 1 2 3 1 2 | 4 3 2 1 3 2 1 4 |
| D♭ major | D♭ E♭ F G♭ A♭ B♭ C D♭ | 2 3 1 2 3 4 1 2 | 3 2 1 4 3 2 1 3 |
| A♭ major | A♭ B♭ C D♭ E♭ F G A♭ | 3 4 1 2 3 1 2 3 | 3 2 1 4 3 2 1 3 |
| E♭ major | E♭ F G A♭ B♭ C D E♭ | 3 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 | 3 2 1 4 3 2 1 3 |
| B♭ major | B♭ C D E♭ F G A B♭ | 2 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 | 3 2 1 4 3 2 1 3 |
| F major | F G A B♭ C D E F | 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 | 5 4 3 2 1 3 2 1 |
Fingers are for going up; reverse them coming down. 1 is the thumb, 2 the index finger, 3 the middle finger, 4 the ring finger and 5 the little finger.
Which scale should I start with?
Start with C major, which only uses white keys. Then move on to G, D, A and E major. All five share the same fingering in each hand, and each step adds one black key.
How to practice without building bad habits
- One hand at a time. The thumb crossing is the hard part: going up with the right hand, it passes under finger 3 or 4.
- Slowly first. Raise the speed only after three clean runs in a row.
- Let the music wait. In wait mode, the next note only arrives when you play the current one.
- Hands together later. When each hand is solid alone, join them at the same slow speed.
Are F♯ major and G♭ major the same scale?
On the keyboard, yes: the keys are the same and only the note names change. The same goes for D♭ major and C♯ major.
How to practice in Tocata
In Technique, Tocata has 15 exercises in 12 keys, across three levels. Notes fall onto the keyboard and the app checks what you play through the microphone or a MIDI keyboard. The Beginner level of Technique is free and includes the major scale in each hand and the major and minor triads. The Intermediate and Advanced levels are part of Tocata Pro.
See also: how to practice with your own sheet music.
Updated November 1, 2026. Made by Ian Felix.