C major scale
The C major scale is C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C. It has no sharps or flats, its relative minor is A minor, and the standard piano fingering is 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 in the right hand and 5 4 3 2 1 3 2 1 in the left hand.
C major scale notes
The C major scale has seven notes before the tonic repeats: C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C. All of them are white keys on the piano.
The step pattern is W W H W W W H (W = whole step, H = half step). The half steps fall between E and F and B and C.
| Degree | Name | Note | Solfège (movable do) | Piano key |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tonic | C | do | White |
| 2 | Supertonic | D | re | White |
| 3 | Mediant | E | mi | White |
| 4 | Subdominant | F | fa | White |
| 5 | Dominant | G | sol | White |
| 6 | Submediant | A | la | White |
| 7 | Leading tone | B | ti | White |
C major key signature
C major has no sharps or flats in its key signature. Any sharp, flat or natural you see in C major music is an accidental, written next to the note it changes.
C major scale fingering
| Hand | Notes (ascending) | Fingers |
|---|---|---|
| Right hand | C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C | 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 |
| Left hand | C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C | 5 4 3 2 1 3 2 1 |
Right hand going up: E (finger 3) to F (finger 1), the thumb passes under. Left hand going up: G (finger 1) to A (finger 3), the finger passes over the thumb. Fingers are numbered 1 (thumb) to 5 (little finger) in both hands.
With no black keys, the thumb can go anywhere, so the crossing points have to be memorised. For two octaves and the descending pattern, open the free piano scale fingering tool linked below.
Chords in C major
Building a triad on each note of the scale gives the seven chords of C major. The primary chords are C (I), F (IV) and G (V).
| Degree | Triad | Notes | Seventh chord | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| I | C | C E G | Cmaj7 | C E G B |
| ii | Dm | D F A | Dm7 | D F A C |
| iii | Em | E G B | Em7 | E G B D |
| IV | F | F A C | Fmaj7 | F A C E |
| V | G | G B D | G7 | G B D F |
| vi | Am | A C E | Am7 | A C E G |
| vii° | B° | B D F | Bm7♭5 | B D F A |
One of the most common progressions in pop music, I V vi IV, is C, G, Am, F in C major. A ii V I cadence is Dm7, G7, Cmaj7.
Reading C major on the staff
C major is the only major key with no sharps or flats, so the whole scale is played on white keys. That makes it the usual first scale, but it is not the easiest shape for the hand: with no black keys to guide the fingers, the thumb crossing after E has to be found by feel.
On the treble staff, C4 to C5 needs 1 ledger line below the staff. On the bass staff, C3 to C4 needs 1 ledger line above the staff.
The reading trap in C major is different from most keys: with nothing to remember from the key signature, every sharp, flat or natural you see is written next to its note, and it still applies to that note for the rest of the bar.
How to practise the C major scale
- Say the notes before you play them: C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C.
- Play hands separately, one octave, at a slow steady pulse (60 beats per minute, one note per beat), using 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 in the right hand and 5 4 3 2 1 3 2 1 in the left.
- Stop on each thumb crossing and check the next finger is already over its key before you move.
- Add the descending scale with the same fingers in reverse, then go to two octaves.
- Put the hands together only when each hand can play it three times in a row without a stop, then raise the tempo by about 8 beats per minute at a time.
- Finish with the primary chords: C (C E G), F (F A C) and G (G B D).
Clef, our iPhone and iPad app, drills major scales, triads and arpeggios with its on-screen controls or a connected MIDI keyboard, then brings each one back on a spaced schedule so it stays learned.
Keys related to C major
- A minor scale: relative minor, same key signature
- C minor scale: parallel minor, same tonic
- G major scale: a fifth above, 1 sharp
- F major scale: a fifth below, 1 flat
Frequently asked questions
What are the notes of the C major scale?
The C major scale is C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C, then C again an octave higher.
How many sharps are in C major?
None. C major has no sharps or flats in its key signature.
What is the relative minor of C major?
A minor. It uses the same key signature and the same notes, starting on A.
What chords are in C major?
C (I), Dm (ii), Em (iii), F (IV), G (V), Am (vi), B° (vii°).
What is the fingering for the C major scale on piano?
Right hand 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 going up from C; left hand 5 4 3 2 1 3 2 1 going up. Reverse the numbers to come down.