The Major Scale

Add a Perfect Fourth (4) and Major Seventh (7) to the Major Pentatonic scale to get the full Major Scale, also called The Ionian Mode. Its sound is happy, light, familiar and triumphant.

The Major Scale is one of the most common scales in western music. Its significance in music theory can not be understated - all other scales reference it. Scale formulae, like 1-2-3-4-5-6-7, are a comparison to the Major Scale. Notice how its formula contains no flattened notes.

Suitable for most happy genres of music. Darker genres such as Rock and Metal will get more mileage out of the Natural Minor Scale.

The Ionian Mode

The Major Scale is the Ionian Mode. Learn more about the Modes.

More Major Scales

Any scale with a Major Third is a Major Scale but not The Major Scale. The Major Pentatonic Scale, Lydian Mode and Mixolydian Mode are also Major Scales.

• The Major Pentatonic Scale
• Learn more about the modes
• Lydian Mode
• Mixolydian Mode