## What Are Scales
Scales are collections of the eight notes that make up a key. If you were to use just those notes, you could make melodies and harmonies that would sound good together. For you history buffs, or if you just want to rock on trivia night, then remember that the word scale comes from the Latin word "Scala," which means ladder. If you look at a scale, it looks like a ladder where each rung is a note that fits in the key signature.

When reading scales, you'll notice that the key is set in the key signature, not by accidentals on each note.

Each key also has character traits. Some seem angry and could be used when writing pieces about war, others sad, and some joyous.

# The 12-Major Scales
## C Major Scale
The C-Major scale is one of the first scales we learn because it doesn't contain any sharps or flats.
![scale-degrees.png](https://res.cloudinary.com/dyqmt7cwn/image/upload/v1626352142/theonlinemetronome/scale_degrees_30f552ff7e.png)

The C-Major scale is made of the notes: C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C. If you were to play this scale on the piano, it would contain only white keys.

Since there are no sharps or flats in C-Major, it is considered to have a "pure" character. It conveys a sense of innocence and simplicity. One of the most famous symphonies in C Major is Beethoven's Symphony No. 1.

## D Major Scale
The D-Major scale contains two sharps in the key signature, F-sharp and C-sharp.
![D-major-scale.png](https://res.cloudinary.com/dyqmt7cwn/image/upload/v1626352140/theonlinemetronome/D_major_scale_754f891265.png)


The D-Major scale is made up of the notes: D, E, F-sharp, G, A, B, C-sharp, and D.

The key of D is representative of triumph and victory. For this reason, many marches, religious, and holiday songs are written in D-Major. Brahms' Symphony No. 2 is in D-Major is an example of a composition using this key.

## E Major Scale
![E-major-scale.png](https://res.cloudinary.com/dyqmt7cwn/image/upload/v1626352140/theonlinemetronome/E_major_scale_3a4642ccaa.png)

E-Major contains four sharps. The scale is comprised of: E, F-sharp, G-sharp, A, B, C-sharp, D-sharp, and E.

The key of E-Major is a joyous key, even sometimes described as "joyous laughter." A symphony that uses the key of E-Major is Anton Bruckner's Symphony No. 7.

## F Major Scale
The key of F-Major has one flat, B-flat. It is made up of: F, G, A, B-flat, C, D, E, F.
![F-major-scale.png](https://res.cloudinary.com/dyqmt7cwn/image/upload/v1626352140/theonlinemetronome/F_major_scale_65db544e4a.png)

The key of F-Major is described as complacent and calm. Antonin Dvorak's Symphony No. 5 in F-Major is written in a pastoral style, which explains why he chose this key for his composition.

## G Major Scale
The key of G-Major has just one sharp: F-sharp. It's comprised of the notes: G, A, B, C, D, E, F-sharp, G.
![G-major-scale.png](https://res.cloudinary.com/dyqmt7cwn/image/upload/v1626352141/theonlinemetronome/G_major_scale_50c2e69a35.png)

The key of G-Major is rustic and idyllic. It evokes feelings of tenderness and friendship. Gustav Mahler's Symphony No. 4 is a good example, as it is meant to depict a child's view of Heaven.

## A Major Scale
A-Major has three sharps (F-sharp, C-sharp, and G-sharp). The scale is made up by: A, B, C-Sharp, D, E, F-Sharp, G-Sharp, A.
![A-major-scale.png](https://res.cloudinary.com/dyqmt7cwn/image/upload/v1626352141/theonlinemetronome/A_major_scale_cd5ea06efa.png)

The key of A Major elicits feelings of innocent love and trust. Felix Mendelssohn's Symphony No. 4 is in A-Major. Mendelssohn was inspired to compose this work by the beauty of Italy. He said "This is Italy! And now has begun what I have always thought... to be the supreme joy in life. And I am loving it."

## B Major Scale
B-Major has five sharps in the key signature. They are F-sharp, C-sharp, G-sharp, D-sharp, and A-sharp. The scale is made up of: B, C-sharp, D-sharp, E, F-sharp, G-sharp, A-sharp, B.
![B-major-scale.png](https://res.cloudinary.com/dyqmt7cwn/image/upload/v1626352142/theonlinemetronome/B_major_scale_78d1c0e95e.png)

The key of B-Major is one of wild passion. It can represent emotions of intense love, anger, jealousy, and rage. It is one of the few major keys that symbolizes negative emotions. Dmitri Shostakovich's Symphony No. 2 is written in B-Major, which was written to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the October Revolution. It was an event that was seen as triumphant but also was an armed insurrection. This highlights the conflict between love and rage.

## D-Flat Major Scale
The next two scales, D-Flat Major and C-Sharp major are enharmonic equivalents.

This means that while they look different, they will sound the same. C-sharp and D-flat are the same pitch. That said, some people have an easier time reading sharp or flats, and one of these keys might make more sense when looking at related keys or chord progressions.

![D-flat-major-scale.png](https://res.cloudinary.com/dyqmt7cwn/image/upload/v1626352143/theonlinemetronome/D_flat_major_scale_306aa918ee.png)

The D-Flat Major scale has five flats: B-flat, E-flat, A-flat, D-flat, and G-flat. It is a key described as being moderate but capable of expressing a range of emotions. It can be happy, but not joyous, or it can be sad, but not in agonizing pain. A symphony composed in D-Flat is Howard Hanson's Symphony No. 2.

## C-Sharp Major Scale
Now that you know the D-Flat major scale, you also know the C-Sharp major scale. Go note by note through these two scales and you will see that they are the same, but expressed differently.

![c-sharp-major-scale.png](https://res.cloudinary.com/dyqmt7cwn/image/upload/v1626352137/theonlinemetronome/c_sharp_major_scale_14f451cced.png)

The C-Sharp major scale has seven sharps: F, C, G, D, A, E, B. So yes, every single note in this scale is sharp. Since this scale sounds, to the ear, the same as the D-Flat Major scale, it has similar musical character traits. That said, in compositions, these two keys might be approached differently, which will have a dramatic impact on the feelings they convey. Many more composers have written symphonies in C-sharp over D-flat. One famous example is Mahler's Symphony No. 5.

## E-Flat Major Scale
E-flat Major has three flats: B-flat, E-flat, and A-flat.

E-flat is the key of love and devotion and is made up of the notes: E-flat, F, G, A-flat, B-flat, C, D, and E-flat. A famous work in the key of E-flat is Beethoven's Symphony No. 3 "Eroica". This piece was originally dedicated to Napoleon, which speaks to the idea of admiration (love and devotion).

## G-Flat Major Scale
The G-Flat Major scale is another scale that is an enharmonic equivalent. G-flat can also be written as F-sharp.

![G-flat-major-scale.png](https://res.cloudinary.com/dyqmt7cwn/image/upload/v1626352137/theonlinemetronome/G_flat_major_scale_20e1ce0bbe.png)

G-Flat major has six flats, meaning every note in this scale is flat except for F. (G-flat, A-flat, B-flat, C-flat, D-flat, E-flat).

## F-Sharp Major Scale
Now that you know G-flat, you also know F-sharp. Go through slowly and you'll see that you use the same fingerings and the pitches are the same.

F-Sharp Major has six sharps: F-sharp, C-sharp, G-sharp, D-sharp, A-sharp, and E-sharp.

![F-sharp-major-scale.png](https://res.cloudinary.com/dyqmt7cwn/image/upload/v1626352137/theonlinemetronome/F_sharp_major_scale_5c90c71676.png)

The F-sharp major scale is made up of the notes: F-sharp, G-sharp, A-sharp, B, C-sharp, D-sharp, E-sharp, and F-sharp. Its character is described as proclaiming triumph over difficulty (which is certainly true if you try to play through it). This key tells the story of a difficult struggle and ultimate triumph.

Since this is such an awkward key for many instruments to play, it is rarely used for symphonies. One of the more famous examples is Mahler's Symphony No. 10 in F-sharp. Interestingly, this was Mahler's last symphony and he was unable to complete it before his death. This work picks up right where Symphony No. 9 leaves off (starting with a theme from the previous work) and then works through difficult music filled with mixed meter and dissonance. Finally, it ends in triumph, illustrating the struggle but ultimately a successful end.

## A-Flat Major Scale
The key of A-Flat Major has four flats: B-flat, E-flat, A-flat, and D-flat.

![A-flat-major-scale.png](https://res.cloudinary.com/dyqmt7cwn/image/upload/v1626352139/theonlinemetronome/A_flat_major_scale_87a83655e9.png)

The A-flat major scale is made up of the notes: A-flat, B-flat, C, D-flat, E-flat, F, G, and A-flat.

This key is a somber one, often associated with death and judgment. Edward Elgar wrote his first symphony in the key of A-flat, though he believed that music shouldn't have to tell a story, rather it can exist just to exist. That said, he described the opening theme (in A-flat Major) as "simple, noble, and elevating." Perhaps it was the somber and simple nature of A-flat that prompted him to use this key.

## B-Flat Major Scale
B-flat Major has two flats in the key signature: B-flat and E-flat.

![B-flat-major-scale.png](https://res.cloudinary.com/dyqmt7cwn/image/upload/v1626352141/theonlinemetronome/B_flat_major_scale_1b9266b73b.png)

The B-flat Major scale is made of the notes: B-flat, C, D, E-flat, F, G, A, and B-flat. This key is described as cheerful and optimistic. A wonderful example of a work in B-flat Major is Prokofiev's Symphony No. 5. It was written during World War II, which was a very hard time to be in Soviet Russia. He described the work as "a hymn to free and happy Man, to his mighty powers, his pure and noble spirit." This beautifully captures the optimism that this work was supposed to convey, making the key of B-flat very appropriate.

##How to Practice Scales
Scales are the building blocks of music. Learning scales will allow you to more quickly read notes within a key signature and to feel more comfortable playing these combinations of fingerings.

Here is a simple process for learning a new scale:

1. Print out two copies of the scale.
2. On one copy, write out the fingering for each note underneath the note.
3. Going very slowly, and not playing, say the note name and press the fingering for the note.
4. When you feel comfortable with the fingerings, play through the scale very slowly.
5. Repeat this process until you have done it perfectly ten times.
6. Now that you feel confident with the fingerings, close your eyes and see if you can play the scale perfectly.
You've learned the basics of the scale, now it is time to get it in rhythm! A technique I recommend is the following:

1. Number the notes of the scale, 1-8.
![scale-degrees.png](https://res.cloudinary.com/dyqmt7cwn/image/upload/v1626352142/theonlinemetronome/scale_degrees_30f552ff7e.png)

2. Now, you're going to gradually build the scale, bit by bit. Start with just playing 1 - 2 - 1.
![Screen Shot 2019-04-19 at 8.33.44 PM.png](https://res.cloudinary.com/dyqmt7cwn/image/upload/v1626352143/theonlinemetronome/Screen_Shot_2019_04_19_at_8_33_44_PM_b4362e57b4.png)

3. Once you can play it perfectly 3 times in a row, add another note.
![Screen Shot 2019-04-19 at 8.34.44 PM.png](https://res.cloudinary.com/dyqmt7cwn/image/upload/v1626352137/theonlinemetronome/Screen_Shot_2019_04_19_at_8_34_44_PM_b126b334a8.png)

4. Continue building the scale so in this manner. Playing the chunk until you have it right three times in a row, then add another scale degree.
![Screen Shot 2019-04-19 at 8.34.44 PM.png](https://res.cloudinary.com/dyqmt7cwn/image/upload/v1626352137/theonlinemetronome/Screen_Shot_2019_04_19_at_8_34_44_PM_b126b334a8.png)

5. Repeat until you have played the entire scale. If you are just starting out, this will be to the eighth scale degree. If you are learning multiple octaves, then keep going! Add a ninth, tenth, eleventh scale degree. You know what notes come next as the same eight notes repeat over and over in scales.

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The major scales are the building blocks of music, mastering them is the first step to learning to play quickly in any key.

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The major scales are the building blocks of music, mastering them is the first step to learning to play quickly in any key. 

The 12 Major Scales | The Online Metronome

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The 12 Major Scales

Let's face it, sheet music gets lost and damaged. In fact, I don't know a single musician who hasn't had a nightmare about showing up to a performance only to notice that they have forgotten an important something... Which is why it's useful to know where you can find free printable sheet music. Here is a list of some of my favorite websites with free sheet music.

## IMSLP
[IMSLP](https://imslp.org) is a library of public domain music. That means that there are no copyright issues to using this music and that you can freely use any of the resources found on this website. They have a massive database: 460,000 musical scores, 17,000 composers, and 54,000 recordings, and they support 28 different languages. The site uses Google search and all works are organized alphabetically, so it's extremely easy to find exactly what you're looking for. I use this site for two main purposes: 1. To find PDF versions of the etude books I own 2. Look at the full scores for pieces I am practicing. You'll be surprised at how many instrument-specific etude books you can find with a little bit of digging -- one thing that might make it challenging for beginners is that the pieces are notated in their original language, so many of the titles might look unfamiliar because they are in French, German, or Italian.

## MUSOPEN
[MUSOPEN](https://musopen.org)also has a library of public domain sheet music and recordings. However, their database isn't as extensive as IMSLP and they do show some ads on the site. However, they do allow you to search by instrument, which makes it easy to find trumpet sheet music or whatever you're specifically looking for. Two features that are unique to MUSOPEN are their streaming radio station and their education center. While their education resources are still under development, there are a ton of great articles for beginning musicians.

## 8Notes
[8Notes](https://www.8notes.com) site is organized by instrument and they have everything. They even have free sheet music for the recorder and mandolin. When you go into a specific instrument's section, they further break down their resources into categories like classical sheet music, jazz, rock and pop, difficulty levels (beginners through advanced), and even play-along tracks. If you're a music teacher, then you'll enjoy how much popular music you can find on this site. From my experience, teaching concepts through current music is an easy way to keep the student motivated and reduce some of the learning time as there is already some familiarity with the piece. If you want even more options, there is a paid subscription version that is $20 a year.

## MuseScore
[MuseScore](https://musescore.com) is a site where individuals can contribute their own arrangements. This is awesome because that means you have an ever-growing database of pieces, but it does mean that some of the quality might be in question. However, MuseScore allows you to "favorite" pieces, which gives you an indication of how many other musicians have enjoyed the piece.

MuseScore provides some pretty cool tools to help musicians practice each of these arrangements. You can listen to a midi recording of the piece (with each bar being highlighted as it is played), a piano keyboard that shows the keys being played along with the recording, and a metronome. Unfortunately, some of these features are only accessible with their "Pro Membership." As of this article publishing, the membership fee is $49 USD a year.

## MutopiaProject
With 2,117 pieces, the [MutopiaProject](http://www.mutopiaproject.org) isn't the most extensive, but it does have a good mix of musical genres available for download. All of which are public domain or under creative commons license, so you can do whatever you want with the music. Their files are available in several file formats (pdf, ps, mid, and ly)

## BandMusicPDF
Many of the free music sites we've covered feature orchestral, small ensemble, or solo instrumental music. [BandMusicPDF](https://www.bandmusicpdf.org/) focuses on wind band music making it a tremendous resource for band directors and band students. As of this writing, their library has just under 3,700 pieces available.

Some other features band directors will appreciate are the inclusion of the piece's grade level, notation of which parts are missing, date, and genre.

## Free Scores
[Free Scores](http://www.free-scores.com/) has bagpipe music. That should tell you everything you need to know about how extensive the resources are. The searchability of this site is great, too, as you can search by composer, instrument, or musical style. One thing of note is that this site includes a really nice selection of free choir music. Many of the pieces include a brief historical description of the musical work and a high-quality recording.

## Free Blank Sheet Music

Of course, sometimes you just want blank sheet music (also called manuscript paper) to compose with. You can buy a book of it, or you can print out this free version we have made for you.

![free-manuscript-paper.png](https://res.cloudinary.com/dyqmt7cwn/image/upload/v1626300646/theonlinemetronome/free_manuscript_paper_f2d2bbdd7b.png)

## What did we miss?
Is there a resource that you love and we did not include on this site? Please let us know and we will be happy to update our list.


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7 of my favorite sites to find tons of free sheet music for any instrument.

7 Websites to Find Free Sheet Music

Recording your practice sessions is an effective way to accelerate your improvement. Here's why:  

## Allows You to Focus on Performance
Have you ever tried to do homework and watch TV at the same time? Odds are you end up not really paying attention to the show and you do a poor job on your homework. You get much better results if you focus on just one thing. The same is true for practicing music. Working through a new piece of music or practicing a difficult passage requires a lot of mental energy. Our mind is filled with thoughts like "Remember, more air on this note" or "Think subdivisions to keep steady." Paying attention to the "doing" aspect means you can't really pay attention to how you sound. Or, if you do, then you are taking away focus on developing or improving a habit. Recording your practice session frees up your mind to focus on doing one thing at a time, which means you'll do it more effectively.  

## Recording Serves As An Objective Ear
"A photograph doesn't lie." Have you heard that saying before? It's less true in today's world of photoshop, but the idea is that a photograph captures a moment in time without our personal experiences clouding our interpretation. You might have experienced this when retelling a story with a friend and you swear something happened one way, and they swear the opposite. Our point of view, emotions, and physical feelings can all cloud how we see or hear something. For example, if I am feeling dehydrated, then I am more likely to describe my sound as "tight" or "thin" because that is how my lips feel. The truth of how I sound might be something very different.

Recording yourself removes those other thoughts and allows you to focus on what really matters; how you sound. This is especially effective if you can give yourself some time between when you record and when you listen back. Allow yourself to forget how you felt when playing.

## Capture "Ah-ha" Moments
Inspiration is always described as coming in a flash. It comes out of nowhere and then disappears just as quickly. These moments come from a unique combination of elements that are hard to recreate. They make perfect sense in the moment, but days later, these ideas somehow don't have the same resonance. It is important to capture your ideas as they happen. By recording your practice session, you can explain these moments in great detail as they occur so that later, you can recall the insight.  

## Capture "Uh-oh" Moments
Have you ever felt sick right until you walked into the doctor's office? Or have issues with your car until it rolls into the mechanic's office? Life has a funny way of giving us problems until we want to show them to the person with the expertise to fix them. This is true for our playing, too. Sometimes we might have issues that we want our lesson teacher's opinion on, but we cannot explain or recreate it when we're in the lesson. A powerful teachable moment has been lost. When you record your practice, you capture these moments, which makes it easier to **(1)** diagnose and **(2)** highlight to your teacher.  

When you have a consistent problem, listen back and ask yourself the following questions:

1. Is this problem a range, rhythm, intonation, musical, or articulation problem?
2. What happens right before the problem? Right afterward?
3. Are there trends in these problems?
4. Based on these other questions, what do I think is the cause?
5. What are five ways/exercises I can use to correct this issue?

##Practice Getting Nervous
If recording your practice sessions is so valuable for improving, then why is it that all musicians don't do it? There are probably many reasons, but one that I hear from my own students is that they get nervous.  

Good!  

Do you get nervous in performance? Yes. Do you get nervous in auditions? Absolutely. The only way to reduce that is to practice getting nervous. When you force yourself to get nervous, you get used to how it feels and what you need to do to overcome those nerves. With that in mind, if hitting the record button makes you nervous, then that is a low-risk way to begin to work on that problem.  

## Track Your Progress
The journey to master a musical instrument is not an easy one. Some days are fun, and some days are frustrating. It's common for us to feel stuck in our progress and begin to lose motivation. That is because progress comes slowly and in small doses and it can be hard to notice improvement. However, if you listen to a recording of yourself from last month or last year, you might notice a dramatic improvement in your playing. Listening back can remind you how far your hard work has taken you and encourage you to continue.  

## Take Notes
Whatever your reason for recording your practice sessions, it is important to always write down your learnings. Two of the major reasons to write down your insights are **(1)** Writing things down actives more of your brain, causing you to remember them more easily.**(2)** Listening to an entire practice session again can take a lot of time. Jotting down the most important aspects in your <a href="https://theonlinemetronome.com/practice-journal" title="Free practice journal templates for musicians.">practice journal</a> will allow you to quickly skim and remember what happened. Personally, I like to also jot down time stamps so that if I want to go back and listen, I know exactly when to fast forward to.  

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Want to know the secret to getting better at an instrument faster? Record every practice session.

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