..about the DO-RE-MI-FA-SO-LA-TI-DO formula?

Well, when you hummed out the DO-RE-MI-FA-SO-LA-TI-DO part, you actually were humming the major scale!

Also, have you read the chapter on Semitones yet?

You'll need to understand what semitones are in order to understand this chapter.

If you don't know what they are, then please go back to the Semitones chapter and read it.

It will only take 2 minutes - do it now!

Ok, now let's understand what a major scale is.

We can think of the major scale like a tool - a tool that can be used to create all types of "western" music that uses the twelve notes:

As you already know, we can sing any song in any of those 12 "keys" mentioned above.

So if you want to create any song, simply pick a key...let's say we want to create a song in the key of A, then we must use the major scale formula to determine the major scale for that particular key.

Here is the MAGIC formula that you can use to compose anything imaginable:

What do these numbers mean?

Each number denotes a semitone...so if we wanted to determine the A-Major Scale, then we would start on the A note and...

And therefore the A-Major Scale is...A - B - C# - D - E - F# - G# - A

Now if you were to play this A-major scales on a keyboard or fretboard, then it would sound like below!!!

Also, take note of how we started and ended on the same note. This will come in handy later. Now I'll help you figure this next example on your own! Let's find out the D-Major Scale...

And therefore, the D# Major scale is D# - F- G - G# - A# - C - D - D#