The major-scale pattern
From the root, a major scale follows: whole, whole, half, whole, whole, whole, half. On a keyboard, a whole step spans two semitones and a half step spans one.
D majorD–E–F♯–G–A–B–C♯–D
The letters move D, E, F, G, A, B, C in order. Accidentals adjust those letters to fit the interval pattern.
The natural-minor pattern
Natural minor follows: whole, half, whole, whole, half, whole, whole. It can also be understood as beginning on the sixth degree of its relative major scale.
E natural minorE–F♯–G–A–B–C–D–E
Why enharmonic spelling matters
F♯ and G♭ sound the same in equal temperament, but they do different theoretical jobs. A seven-note scale normally needs seven different letter names. Writing D–E–G♭–G for D major repeats G and omits F, hiding the scale’s structure.
A reliable method
- Write the seven letter names from the root.
- Apply the scale’s whole- and half-step pattern.
- Add sharps or flats without changing the letter sequence.
- Check that every scale degree appears once.