Major Scale Patterns

Why This Matters

The major scale isn't just a collection of notes—it's the DNA of Western music. When you understand major scale patterns, you unlock the ability to analyze melodies, predict chord progressions, and improvise with confidence. Every concept in this guide connects to bigger musicianship skills: ear training, sight-reading, composition, and harmonic analysis. Your instructor will test you on how these patterns function together, not just whether you can recite them.

Here's the key insight: major scale patterns work at multiple levels simultaneously. The same whole and half step logic that builds the scale also explains why certain chords sound stable and others create tension. Don't just memorize the patterns—know what musical problem each one solves and how they connect to the sounds you're hearing.

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Building Blocks: Scale Construction Patterns

These patterns explain how the major scale is built from smaller components. Master these first, and everything else clicks into place.

Whole-Whole-Half-Whole-Whole-Whole-Half Pattern

• W-W-H-W-W-W-H is the major scale formula—this sequence of whole steps and half steps produces the characteristic bright, stable sound of major tonality
• Half steps occur between scale degrees 3-4 and 7-8—these two locations are critical for identifying major scales by ear and distinguishing them from other modes
• Apply this pattern starting on any note to construct a major scale in that key, making it the most fundamental tool for transposition

Tetrachord Patterns

• A tetrachord is a four-note unit with the pattern W-W-H—think of it as half a major scale in a convenient package
• Major scales consist of two identical tetrachords separated by a whole step, which explains why scales feel balanced and symmetrical
• The upper tetrachord of one scale becomes the lower tetrachord of the next—this is why the circle of fifths works and keys are related

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Functional Relationships: How Scale Degrees Work Together

These patterns explain why certain notes feel stable or unstable. Understanding function is essential for harmonic analysis and ear training.

Scale Degrees and Their Functions

• Tonic (1), dominant (5), and leading tone (7) are the most functionally important degrees—they create the gravitational pull that defines a key
• Supertonic (2), mediant (3), subdominant (4), and submediant (6) each have characteristic tendencies that guide melodic and harmonic motion
• Function determines tendency—unstable degrees (2, 4, 6, 7) want to resolve to stable degrees (1, 3, 5), which is the foundation of voice leading

Tonic-Dominant-Tonic Pattern (1-5-1)

• The 1-5-1 motion establishes key more strongly than any other pattern—it's the harmonic equivalent of a period at the end of a sentence
• Dominant creates tension, tonic provides resolution—this push-pull relationship drives virtually all tonal music forward
• Listen for 1-5-1 in bass lines to quickly identify the key center of any piece you're analyzing

Intervallic Relationships Within the Scale

• Major 3rd above tonic (1 to 3) defines major quality—this interval is what makes major scales sound "happy" compared to minor
• Perfect 5th (1 to 5) provides stability, while the tritone (4 to 7) creates maximum tension demanding resolution
• Every interval has a unique color and function—recognizing these by ear is the core skill tested in dictation exercises

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Melodic Patterns: How Scales Become Music

These patterns show how the scale transforms into actual melodies. They're essential for sight-reading, dictation, and composition.

Stepwise Motion

• Stepwise (conjunct) motion moves between adjacent scale degrees—it creates smooth, singable melodic lines that are easier to perform and hear
• Most melodies are predominantly stepwise with occasional leaps for contrast, making this pattern your default expectation when sight-reading
• Voice leading in harmony relies on stepwise motion—understanding this connects melodic and harmonic analysis

Tonic Triad Arpeggios (1-3-5)

• The tonic triad outlines the most stable notes of the key—arpeggiated patterns on 1-3-5 immediately establish tonality
• Arpeggios create contrast with stepwise motion—melodies alternate between the two for variety and shape
• Hearing 1-3-5 is fundamental to chord identification—if you can audiate the tonic triad, you can identify any chord by comparison

Octave Leaps

• Octave leaps (1 to 1) maintain pitch class while changing register—they expand melodic range without changing harmonic function
• Octave displacement creates drama and energy in melodies, often appearing at climactic moments
• Accurate octave leaps require strong audiation—practice singing them to develop your internal pitch reference

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Harmonic Patterns: Scales Become Chords

These patterns explain how individual scale notes combine to create harmony. They're tested heavily in chord identification and progression analysis.

Common Chord Progressions (I-IV-V-I)

• I-IV-V-I is the most fundamental progression in Western music—it appears in everything from folk songs to symphonies
• IV provides subdominant function (moving away from tonic), V provides dominant function (demanding return to tonic)
• Recognizing this progression by ear is non-negotiable for harmonic dictation—train yourself to hear the bass motion

Scale Harmonization

• Stacking thirds on each scale degree produces seven diatonic chords—three major (I, IV, V), three minor (ii, iii, vi), and one diminished (vii°)
• Chord quality is determined by the intervals within the scale—this is why harmonization sounds different in major vs. minor keys
• Understanding diatonic chords allows you to predict which chords belong in a key and identify borrowed chords when they appear

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Quick Reference Table

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Self-Check Questions

1. Both the W-W-H-W-W-W-H pattern and tetrachords describe major scale construction—when would you use each approach, and what advantage does the tetrachord method offer for learning new keys?

2. Which two scale degrees contain the tritone interval, and why does this interval create the strongest pull toward resolution?

3. Compare stepwise motion and tonic triad arpeggios: how do their functions differ in establishing tonality versus developing melodic ideas?

4. If you hear a bass line moving 1-5-1, what harmonic progression is likely occurring above it, and why does this motion establish key so effectively?

5. Explain how scale harmonization produces three major chords, three minor chords, and one diminished chord—what determines each chord's quality?