Starting on each note

You can start a major scale on any of the 12 different notes in an octave. Theoretically you can call some of these notes different names, but that doesn’t change what they sound like.

You name a scale based off of the first note.

Here are the twelve notes

C, C#, D, Eb, E, F, F#, G, Ab, A, Bb, B

I used a combination of flats and sharps in the names according to the way I usually think of them.

You can think of scales in terms of solfege, solfa, solfeggio, and the other names for the syllables.

The first note will be do

Do, Re, Mi, Fa, So, La, Ti, Do

For the major scale. That can be a useful system, I used in it in a few classes with singing. But generally I think of the letters in music. You change the syllables a little to raise or lower them by a half step.

Transposing

If you play saxophone, you probably should know about transposing.

Tranposing posts

Circle of Fifths

A way to practice the twelve major scales would be around the “circle of fifths”

C F Bb Eb Ab C# F# B E A D G

Moving in that direction is similar to the movement of the V chord to the I chord which happens often in music as a resolution.

Four Major Scales

Here are four of the major scales

Saxophone Scales – How to Play C Major Scale on Sax – SaxStation

Saxophone Scales – C# Major Scale – SaxStation

B Major Scale on Saxophone – SaxStation

Saxophone Scales – Ab Major Scale – SaxStation

Same Interval Pattern, Similar Sound

What I would actually recommend is learning the scales initially by reading them, but then trying to really remember and recognize the sound of the major scale. If you do that, you should be able to play a major scale starting on any note.

Basically, the scales become much more useful if you have memorized them.

Order of Flats and Sharps

You will see patterns in the scales as well, especially if you play them in certain orders.

In this order,

C F Bb Eb Ab C# F# B E A D G

You add a flat each time as you progress to the right. After Ab, you go to C# which has 7 sharps and then you begin subtracting one sharp as you go the right.

The flats in a key signature go in a certain order:

Bb, Eb, Ab, Db, Gb, Cb, Fb

The sharps go in the opposite order

F#, C#, G#, D#, A#, E#, B#

If you would like to learn more, check out my Class About Scales