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Piano scales with fingering

Every major scale, and the natural, harmonic and melodic minor in every key, written for both hands with the standard fingering. Each page shows the notes on the staff and the keyboard, plays the scale up and down with the cursor following, and lets you play along, note by note, from a MIDI keyboard, the mouse or your computer keys.

Round the circle of fifths

Going clockwise, each key is a fifth above the last and adds one sharp; going the other way, each adds one flat. At the bottom, F♯ major and G♭ major (and D♯ and E♭ minor) are the same keys, spelled two ways. Each minor key inside shares its key signature with the major key beside it, its relative major.

Tap a key to open its scale.

The circle of fifths: major keys outside, minor keys inside, with the sharps or flats in each key signature 01♯2♯3♯4♯5♯6♯ / 6♭5♭4♭3♭2♭1♭ C G D A E B F♯ G♭ D♭ A♭ E♭ B♭ F a e b f♯ c♯ g♯ d♯ e♭ b♭ f c g d

13 scales Major scales

In circle-of-fifths order: one more sharp each step to F♯ major, then from G♭ major one flat fewer each step back to F.

No sharps or flatsC majorC D E F G A B C 1 sharpG majorG A B C D E F♯ G 2 sharpsD majorD E F♯ G A B C♯ D 3 sharpsA majorA B C♯ D E F♯ G♯ A 4 sharpsE majorE F♯ G♯ A B C♯ D♯ E 5 sharpsB majorB C♯ D♯ E F♯ G♯ A♯ B 6 sharpsF♯ majorF♯ G♯ A♯ B C♯ D♯ E♯ F♯ 6 flatsG♭ majorG♭ A♭ B♭ C♭ D♭ E♭ F G♭ 5 flatsD♭ majorD♭ E♭ F G♭ A♭ B♭ C D♭ 4 flatsA♭ majorA♭ B♭ C D♭ E♭ F G A♭ 3 flatsE♭ majorE♭ F G A♭ B♭ C D E♭ 2 flatsB♭ majorB♭ C D E♭ F G A B♭ 1 flatF majorF G A B♭ C D E F

39 scales Minor scales

Every minor key has three scales. The natural minor uses only the key signature; the harmonic minor raises the seventh note; the melodic minor raises the sixth and seventh going up and comes down as the natural minor.

KeyScalesNatural minor notes
A minorNo sharps or flatsNaturalHarmonicMelodicA B C D E F G A
E minor1 sharpNaturalHarmonicMelodicE F♯ G A B C D E
B minor2 sharpsNaturalHarmonicMelodicB C♯ D E F♯ G A B
F♯ minor3 sharpsNaturalHarmonicMelodicF♯ G♯ A B C♯ D E F♯
C♯ minor4 sharpsNaturalHarmonicMelodicC♯ D♯ E F♯ G♯ A B C♯
G♯ minor5 sharpsNaturalHarmonicMelodicG♯ A♯ B C♯ D♯ E F♯ G♯
D♯ minor6 sharpsNaturalHarmonicMelodicD♯ E♯ F♯ G♯ A♯ B C♯ D♯
E♭ minor6 flatsNaturalHarmonicMelodicE♭ F G♭ A♭ B♭ C♭ D♭ E♭
B♭ minor5 flatsNaturalHarmonicMelodicB♭ C D♭ E♭ F G♭ A♭ B♭
F minor4 flatsNaturalHarmonicMelodicF G A♭ B♭ C D♭ E♭ F
C minor3 flatsNaturalHarmonicMelodicC D E♭ F G A♭ B♭ C
G minor2 flatsNaturalHarmonicMelodicG A B♭ C D E♭ F G
D minor1 flatNaturalHarmonicMelodicD E F G A B♭ C D

Other Other scales

All twelve notesChromatic scaleEvery key in turn, with 3 on the black keys.

Which scales to learn first

Most teachers and exam boards start with C, G, D and F major, and A, E and D minor, hands separately and one octave first. C, G, D, A and E major all use the same fingering, so learning one teaches five. F major is the first that changes it, and B♭, E♭ and A♭ major start on a finger other than the thumb.

How scale fingering works

The hand has five fingers and an octave has seven notes, so the thumb passes under the hand once or twice an octave (or a finger crosses over the thumb). The rule behind every fingering: the thumb plays white keys, and the longer fingers reach for the black ones. So in keys with many black keys, the thumbs go wherever the white keys are, and the fourth finger, which comes once per octave, is the landmark to remember.

Play scales slowly and evenly before you play them fast. Fingering learned at a slow tempo stays the same every time, and that’s what lets it get fast.

Scales, then real music

Pianomi is a free app that listens to your MIDI keyboard. It takes you through scales and arpeggios at a steady tempo, grading every note and beat, and gives you new music to sight-read every day, at your level.

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