The G Scale

So I'll begin with the Key of G major which is founded on a "G" scale. Notice I said "Major". There is also a "Minor".

I'll describe the "major" for now. Beginning on G, move one full step above in pitch to the note "A". Notice that there is a note between G and A. This note is a half-step from our beginning note G. It is called "G Sharp". "G Sharp is enharmonically the same as "A-Flat". So now we've determined that there are half-steps and whole-steps in a scale. A "Major" scale is built by combining whole -and half -steps together in a certain sequence.

I like to remember the sequence this way: "Two wholes, a half, three holes, a half." So the first half would be "two wholes and a half", or G,A,B (The interval G to A is the first whole and A to B is the second whole) and the half is from B to C. The concluding part to the G scale would be "Three wholes and a half" or C, D, E, F# and the half up to G. (C to D is a whole, D to E is our second whole, E to F would only be a half step and our scale calls for a whole step here, so we have to raise this note (Sharpen) to an F# to get the required spacing of that whole note and then we finalize the scale with a half step from the F# to the G. The G scale ends up: G A(B C)D E(F# G). (half steps shown in parenthesis)