Section 3: Scale Basics

As you've learned, there are 12 different notes. Though musicians are free to use any of the 12 notes at any time, it is common to restrict the choice of keys to those in a particular scale — a set of notes.

The C major scale, for example, consists of the 7 notes: C, D, E, F, G, A, B.

Try pressing the piano keys below to get a feel for how the scale sounds. Pressing keys will play both the pressed note and the lowest C in the diagram, which helps convey the "feeling" of the scale.

Also try starting and ending with C to hear how it sounds stable and "like home."