The major scale is the backbone of all scales. From the major scale the musician can build various modes, both major and minor. Many exotic scales are built from the foundation of the major scale.  The musician can also build arpeggios and chords based on his or her knowledge of the major scale.

All scales are built on intervals. These intervals are a series of whole and half steps. These are the white and black keys on a piano. The transition of a white key to the black key is a half step. The interval between white key to white key is a whole step. Since there is no such thing as a E# or Fb, a B# or Cb than there are no black keys. Therefore the interval between E and F, and B and C are half steps. If there is a sharp or flat between the notes than this is a whole step. A great example of this is found at http://www.musictheory.net/lessons/html/id21_en.html

The scale is composed of the following degrees:

1,2,3,4,5,6,7 or in steps W,W,H,W,W,W,H

In other words a C Major Scale is composed of:

C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C (notice no sharps or flats)

Notice that the half steps fall naturally between E and F (3^rd and 4^th , 7^th and 8^th of the scale). If you want to transpose this scale to play D major scale, the half steps remain in the same locations; between the 3^rd and 4^th, 7^th and 8^th of the scale. The musician would have to sharp the F to F# and the C to C# to maintain the proper location of the half steps and whole steps.

After you have mastered playing the C Major Scale, ascending and descending, try starting to the scale starting on different notes, without moving the steps. This creates different modes. For example play the C Major starting on A, while maintaining the same notes. This would be A,B,C,D,E,F,G,A. This is an A natural minor scale. Notice that the half steps are still between B-C and E-F; however, these notes are in different locations in relation to the root of the scale.

---