Scales represent almost the entire make-up of music. In strictly diatonic compositions all chords will contain notes from the same scale. Likewise, any instrument or vocal melodies will be in that same scale. The most common scales in Western music contain seven different notes.

Tabbed below are the Natural Major and Natural Minor scales, (often referred to as just “Major” or “Minor”), both in the key of C. The difference between these scales and their pentatonic equivalents, (if you don’t know them, or this lesson seems to advanced for you, please refer to this lesson: Pentatonic Scales.), is an additional 2 notes per octave. The reason for this is simplicity – it’s easier to learn a pattern of 5 notes rather than 7.

Both are tabbed ascending and descending, so this order is a sensible way to practice and begin memorizing them. Try and be aware of the difference in tonality in these scales, and try to develop your own idea about how they sound, (Major is happy, and Minor is sad being the simplest ways of thinking about them)