Free Reference · ABRSM Aligned
Every major and minor scale, all three minor forms, with fingering, key signatures and clearly labelled keyboard diagrams. A 43-page reference written by a Trinity Laban–trained pianist.
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What you get
12
Major scales
In circle-of-fifths order, with fingering, key signatures and keyboard diagrams.
36
Minor scale forms
All three forms — natural, harmonic and melodic — for every minor key.
5
Reference tables
Quick-lookup tables for majors, naturals, harmonics, melodics, and the circle of fifths.
60+
Scale diagrams
Every scale shown across two octaves with the notes highlighted in gold.
How to read this guide
The distance between each rung — the interval — is what gives the scale its character. Almost every piece of music a piano student plays is built from a handful of these ladders.
This guide uses four interval patterns:
Fingering: 1 = thumb, 2 = index, 3 = middle, 4 = ring, 5 = little. The fingering grid beneath each diagram shows the right and left hand directly under their matching note.
Practise: hands separately first, slow with a metronome at 60 BPM, one note per click. Hands together once each hand is even. Two octaves before four.
Outer ring: majors. Inner ring: their relative minors. Move clockwise to add a sharp; anticlockwise to add a flat.
Part one
In circle-of-fifths order — C, then the sharp keys clockwise (G, D, A, E, B, F♯/G♭), then back through the flats (D♭, A♭, E♭, B♭, F).
Major · No sharps or flats
Relative minor: A minor
C major scale notes: C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C. Right-hand fingering 1-2-3-1-2-3-4-5. Left-hand fingering 5-4-3-2-1-3-2-1.
Open and unambiguous. The reference point every other scale is heard against.
Major · 1 sharp · F♯
Relative minor: E minor
G major scale notes: G, A, B, C, D, E, F♯, G. Right-hand fingering 1-2-3-1-2-3-4-5. Left-hand fingering 5-4-3-2-1-3-2-1.
Bright and outdoorsy. The key Mozart reached for when he wanted something cheerful without effort.
Major · 2 sharps · F♯, C♯
Relative minor: B minor
D major scale notes: D, E, F♯, G, A, B, C♯, D. Right-hand fingering 1-2-3-1-2-3-4-5. Left-hand fingering 5-4-3-2-1-3-2-1.
Triumphant and resonant on the piano. The key of countless symphonic finales.
Major · 3 sharps · F♯, C♯, G♯
Relative minor: F♯ minor
A major scale notes: A, B, C♯, D, E, F♯, G♯, A. Right-hand fingering 1-2-3-1-2-3-4-5. Left-hand fingering 5-4-3-2-1-3-2-1.
Warm and lyrical. Sits comfortably under the right hand of almost every singer-songwriter.
Major · 4 sharps · F♯, C♯, G♯, D♯
Relative minor: C♯ minor
E major scale notes: E, F♯, G♯, A, B, C♯, D♯, E. Right-hand fingering 1-2-3-1-2-3-4-5. Left-hand fingering 5-4-3-2-1-3-2-1.
Bold and burnished. Chopin chose it for his most affirming nocturnes.
Major · 5 sharps · F♯, C♯, G♯, D♯, A♯
Relative minor: G♯ minor
B major scale notes: B, C♯, D♯, E, F♯, G♯, A♯, B. Right-hand fingering 1-2-3-1-2-3-4-5. Left-hand fingering 4-3-2-1-4-3-2-1.
Velvet and slightly aloof. Five sharps put just enough resistance under the hand to feel luxurious.
Watch out for the left-hand fingering: groups of four (4-3-2-1, 4-3-2-1) rather than the usual 5-4-3-2-1-3-2-1, because the thumb must keep clear of the run of black keys.
Major · 6 sharps · F♯, C♯, G♯, D♯, A♯, E♯ or 6 flats · B♭, E♭, A♭, D♭, G♭, C♭
Relative minor: D♯ minor / E♭ minor
F♯ major / G♭ major scale notes: F♯, G♯, A♯, B, C♯, D♯, E♯, F♯. Right-hand fingering 2-3-4-1-2-3-1-2. Left-hand fingering 4-3-2-1-3-2-1-4.
Enharmonic spelling (G♭ major): G♭ · A♭ · B♭ · C♭ · D♭ · E♭ · F · G♭
Enharmonically identical pitches, opposite key signatures; pick whichever is easier to read in context. Both feel velvety and dark on a real piano.
Watch out for the thumb never lands on a black key. Both hands cross under at the single white key (B in F♯ spelling, C♭ in G♭).
Major · 5 flats · B♭, E♭, A♭, D♭, G♭
Relative minor: B♭ minor
D♭ major scale notes: D♭, E♭, F, G♭, A♭, B♭, C, D♭. Right-hand fingering 2-3-1-2-3-4-1-2. Left-hand fingering 3-2-1-4-3-2-1-3.
Plush and intimate. The key of Chopin’s "Raindrop" Prelude and many of his slow nocturnes.
Watch out for thumbs strictly on the two white keys (F and C); they never touch a black key.
Major · 4 flats · B♭, E♭, A♭, D♭
Relative minor: F minor
A♭ major scale notes: A♭, B♭, C, D♭, E♭, F, G, A♭. Right-hand fingering 3-4-1-2-3-1-2-3. Left-hand fingering 3-2-1-4-3-2-1-2.
Mellow and Romantic. Almost every Brahms intermezzo seems to want to slide here.
Watch out for the right hand starts on finger 3, not the thumb: the standard reason being that A♭ is a black key and the thumb is reserved for whites.
Major · 3 flats · B♭, E♭, A♭
Relative minor: C minor
E♭ major scale notes: E♭, F, G, A♭, B♭, C, D, E♭. Right-hand fingering 3-1-2-3-1-2-3-4. Left-hand fingering 3-2-1-4-3-2-1-2.
Noble and broad: the heroic key of Beethoven’s "Eroica" and many concertos.
Watch out for the right hand starts on finger 3; thumbs land only on F and C (the two whites).
Major · 2 flats · B♭, E♭
Relative minor: G minor
B♭ major scale notes: B♭, C, D, E♭, F, G, A, B♭. Right-hand fingering 4-1-2-3-1-2-3-4. Left-hand fingering 3-2-1-4-3-2-1-3.
Easy-going and woodwind-friendly: the home key for almost every jazz standard.
Watch out for the right hand begins on finger 4, then thumbs across to C. Both hands avoid the thumb on a black key.
Major · 1 flat · B♭
Relative minor: D minor
F major scale notes: F, G, A, B♭, C, D, E, F. Right-hand fingering 1-2-3-4-1-2-3-4. Left-hand fingering 5-4-3-2-1-3-2-1.
Pastoral and warm. F major is one of the friendliest keys to read and play; the only complication is that single B♭.
Watch out for the right hand uses 1-2-3-4-1-2-3-4 rather than the usual 1-2-3-1-2-3-4-5, because the thumb must avoid B♭.
Part two
Each key in all three forms: natural, harmonic and melodic. The notes that change from the natural form (the raised 7th in harmonic, the raised 6th and 7th in melodic ascending) are highlighted in teal.
Minor · No sharps or flats
Relative major: C major
Ascending (raised 6 & 7)
Descending (= natural minor)
Quiet, modal, slightly unresolved: the same notes as C major but every phrase falls toward A instead of climbing toward C.
Minor · 1 sharp · F♯
Relative major: G major
Ascending (raised 6 & 7)
Descending (= natural minor)
Folk-music dark: the key of countless Russian and Eastern European laments because the harmonic form sits so heavily in the hand.
Minor · 2 sharps · F♯, C♯
Relative major: D major
Ascending (raised 6 & 7)
Descending (= natural minor)
Mournful and elevated. Bach’s Mass in B minor is named after this key for good reason.
Minor · 3 sharps · F♯, C♯, G♯
Relative major: A major
Ascending (raised 6 & 7)
Descending (= natural minor)
Aching and introspective. Rachmaninov’s most famous Prelude lives here.
Minor · 4 sharps · F♯, C♯, G♯, D♯
Relative major: E major
Ascending (raised 6 & 7)
Descending (= natural minor)
Hushed and brooding. Beethoven’s "Moonlight" Sonata is the immediate association; that lapping triplet figure is in this key.
Minor · 5 sharps · F♯, C♯, G♯, D♯, A♯ or 7 flats
Relative major: B major / C♭ major
Ascending (raised 6 & 7)
Descending (= natural minor)
Enharmonic spelling (A♭ minor natural): A♭ · B♭ · C♭ · D♭ · E♭ · F♭ · G♭ · A♭
The harmonic form introduces a double-sharp on F (F𝄪 = G), one of the very few places piano students meet this notation. A♭ minor is more often used as a transient passing key than a destination.
Minor · 6 flats · B♭, E♭, A♭, D♭, G♭, C♭ or 6 sharps
Relative major: G♭ major / F♯ major
Ascending (raised 6 & 7)
Descending (= natural minor)
Enharmonic spelling (D♯ minor natural): D♯ · E♯ · F♯ · G♯ · A♯ · B · C♯ · D♯
Deep and resonant: the Chopin "Funeral March" passing chord and the heart of much late Romantic piano writing.
Minor · 5 flats · B♭, E♭, A♭, D♭, G♭
Relative major: D♭ major
Ascending (raised 6 & 7)
Descending (= natural minor)
Saturated and dramatic: the home key of Chopin’s Funeral March and Rachmaninov’s 2nd Piano Sonata.
Minor · 4 flats · B♭, E♭, A♭, D♭
Relative major: A♭ major
Ascending (raised 6 & 7)
Descending (= natural minor)
Anguished and noble. Beethoven’s Appassionata Sonata lives in this key; so does much of his most turbulent writing.
Minor · 3 flats · B♭, E♭, A♭
Relative major: E♭ major
Ascending (raised 6 & 7)
Descending (= natural minor)
Stern and fated. Beethoven returned to this key whenever he wanted to start with a struggle: the 5th Symphony, the Pathétique Sonata, the C minor Concerto.
Minor · 2 flats · B♭, E♭
Relative major: B♭ major
Ascending (raised 6 & 7)
Descending (= natural minor)
Restless and slightly tragic. Mozart reserved this key for his most personal music (the G minor Symphony No. 40, the G minor Piano Quartet).
Minor · 1 flat · B♭
Relative major: F major
Ascending (raised 6 & 7)
Descending (= natural minor)
Solemn and ceremonial: the key of the Mozart Requiem and Bach’s Chaconne. The harmonic form’s raised C♯ is the sound of resignation tipping toward grandeur.
Who wrote this
I’m Norbert Steczkowski. I trained at the Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance in London and have performed at the Royal Albert Hall. I run Piano with Norbert, a small studio in Harrow where over 90 per cent of our students pass ABRSM and Trinity exams with merit or distinction.
This guide is the reference I wish every one of my students had when they started. It is free because scales should not be paywalled.
Common questions
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