Ionian (Major)

The major scale — the most familiar sound in Western music

Ionian is the major scale — the most familiar and foundational major major mode, and the most common scale in Western music. Bright, resolved, and stable: the default sound of nursery rhymes and most pop and rock. Its major pentatonic subset is the innate human melodic scale.

The major scale prevails over non-diatonic scales because of its internal consonance and its versatile containment of triads, tetrads, and pentatonics. It prevails over the other major modes because its single dominant 7th chord, on the 5th degree, resolves strongly to the root — in the other modes that resolution does not land on the root.

Common in pop, rock, classical, country, folk, gospel, Broadway, and film scores. The overwhelming majority of popular music is in Ionian or its relative Aeolian.

The instrumentTap a note to hear it.

C major scale

C0D2E4F5G7A9B11

Circle of fifthsInside, the twelve notes by semitone — the wheel every set on this site is drawn on. Outside, the same twelve by fifths. 7 fifths from F — F C G D A E B. From C, ionian, the major scale: C D E F G A B. No sharps or flats; its neighbors G and F major share 6 of 7 notes.

On your instrument, in your key

Onguitar bass ukulele mandolin pianoInC D♭D E♭E F F♯G A♭A B♭B

Play over it in the browser

Progressions in C major onguitar bass ukulele mandolin pianoInC major D♭ major D major E♭ major E major F major F♯ major G major A♭ major A major B♭ major B major

Contained byMajor Major Modes Major ModesContainsMajor Pentatonic Major Triad Root & 5thParallel toAeolian (Natural Minor)RelatedLydian MixolydianReferenced byScale Degrees Major 3rd Major 7th Dorian

Practiced in

diatonicMajor Scale Anchored Major Scale Full Range Major Scale Pentatonics Full Range Major Scale Tetrads Full Range Major Scale Triads Full Range Explore the Major Scale Major Scale Melodies (Range Shifting)Major Scale Melodies (Timed)Major Scale Melodies (Untimed)Major Scale Nesting LayersmodesRovingMajor Scale Anchored (Roving)Major Scale Full Range (Roving)Major Scale Melodies (Range Shifting)Major Scale Melodies (Root Shuffling)