For centuries, most Western music has been based on major and minor scales. That is one of the things that make it instantly recognizable as Western music. Most of the music of Eastern Asia is based upon thaat and ragas. A scale is a list of all the notes that begins with a specific key. Major scales all follow the same interval pattern. The simple, sing-along, nursery rhymes and folk songs we learn as children, the cheerful, toe-tapping pop and rock we dance to or Qomi Tarana, Pak Ser Zameen: Most music in a major key has a bright sound that people often describe as cheerful, inspiring, exciting, or just plain fun. In C Major Scale you may play the song "ik pyar kaa nagma hai". It consists all the white keys from any starting C to the next. C. Music in a particular key tends to use only some of the many possible notes available; these notes are listed in the scale associated with that key. The notes that a major key uses tend to build "bright"-sounding major chords. They also give a strong feeling of having a tonal center, a note or chord that feels like "home" in that key. The "bright"-sounding major chords and the strong feeling of tonality are what give major keys their pleasant moods. In this lesson we will learn all about the major scale. Although we will use a keyboard, the lesson should be of use to anyone who wants to learn about one of the most important and useful scales in music.

In a keyboard you will see the familiar repeating pattern of notes. Starting from one C and moving upwards to the next produces the notes: C D E F G A B C

Learn all the note names on a keyboard. The white key to the left of two black keys is always a C, now moving to the next white keys on the right we have D - E - F - G - A - B then back to C again. These note names just keep repeating. The name of the black keys (and some white keys as well) varies depending on whether it's a sharp or a flat. For example, the black key next to C may either be a C# or a Db. If you've played these C D E F G A B C notes on your  keyboard - you've just played a Major Scale. This is the scale known as C Major. C Major is the most common scale in all Western music and there are eight notes in C Major scale. To simplify, you can memorize this formula to form a major scale:

Major Scale = whole step - whole step - half step - whole step - whole step - whole step - half step or w - w - h - w - w - w – h   Or we can write

    whole  whole  half  whole  whole  whole  half

    step   step   step  step   step   step   step

1       to  2  to  3 to  4  to  5  to  6  to  7  to  8

Now, assign numbers to each note of a major scale, always assign number one to the root note. For example, in the C major scale the root note is C with number 1 and other numbers will be assigned as follows:

C = 1
D = 2
E = 3
F = 4
G = 5
A = 6
B = 7
C = 8

So, based upon this sequence a C major scale would be comprised of the following tones: C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C (in a single octave).

Understanding Tones and Semitones

To understand how to find other major scales we need to look more closely at the construction of our C Major Scale. Have a look at the keyboard again. By adding in the black notes, we can see that there are actually 12 notes between one C and the next.  The distance from one of these 12 to its neighbor is known as a semitone. If you have a keyboard, try playing up the keyboard from one C to the next, playing all 12 notes.

Notice how some notes of the C major scale have another note in between them (eg. from C to D there is a black note in between), whereas some don't (e.g. from E to F). The gap from C to D consists of two semitones, and is known as a tone.  This pattern of tones and semitones is how the scale gets its particular colour. The major scale is formed out of the following mixture of tones and semitones or we can say a major scale consists of 7 different notes. The intervals from note to note of the major scale in any key are:

tone - tone - semitone - tone - tone - tone - semitone

Finding other major scales in desi style.

For example, let's try D major Scale which is: D E F# A B C#

Many students of keyboards dread scales. But without the knowledge of scales, you will never be able to create your original melodies. Scales teach you correct fingering patterns.

Practice each hand separately, before attempting to play both hands! The fingering for the RH is: ascending  1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 and descending 5 4 3 2 1 3 2 1. As you ascend, tuck your thumb under your third finger and complete the scale using finger numbers 1 2 3 4 5. When you descend, cross your third finger over your thumb and complete the scale using finger numbers 3 2 1. LH fingering: ascending 5 4 3 2 1 3 2 1 and descending 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5. The same instructions apply regarding tucking the thumb under the second finger when descending and crossing the third finger over the thumb when ascending. 

Throughout your study of the keyboard, especially when you are learning new music, or an exercise, it is important that you practice each hand separately at first. Once your finger muscles have memorized the movement (s) you may then practice with both hands. But remember to practice slowly at first. How can you run, if you can’t walk? 

Getting Use to Keyboard Finger Movements:

Place your right hand on a tabletop or your thigh. Slowly, tap each finger, starting with your thumb and proceed with fingers 2-5. (I.e. 1-2-3-4-5, 1-2-3-4-5 etc.)

Repeat this at least ten times. Raise your fingers very high.