Most of the music written since the XVII century uses two scales: the major scale and the minor scale.

We can build a major scale using the white keys on the piano keyboard starting with C:

Major scales have a major third interval between the first and third note.

We can build a minor scale using the white keys but starting in A:

Minor scales have a minor third interval between the first and third note.

But what defines the type of scale is not its first note but the intervals used to create it.

 

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