1. Half Steps, Whole Steps and Building Major Scales

2. Get to a keyboard or use the virtual keyboard on my website: TirelliMusic.com

3. These are the names of the white notes on the piano keyboard.

4. This chart adds names of the black notes, or notes with sharps (#) and flats (b). These are called “accidentals”. Notes that share two names are called “enharmonic”.

5. Let’s take a closer look at the piano keyboard by looking at only one octave. Flats: Move to the lower-left Sharps: Move to the upper-right

6. Let’s put our piano keyboard back together again.

7. A half step is the closest possible distance between two notes. There can be no notes in between them. Ex. #1 Ex. #2 Ex. #3 Ex. #4

8. A whole step happens when you add two half steps together. Whole steps share a note in the middle. Ex. #1 Ex. #2 Ex. #3 Ex. #4

9. How does all this apply to playing scales? The step formula for any major scale: W-W-H-W-W-W-H The C Major Scale

10. Get to a keyboard or use the virtual keyboard on my website: TirelliMusic.com