C sharp major scale Notes

Let’s learn how to play the C sharp major scale. The scale has seven sharp notes. The scale uses the same notes as the D-flat major scale. The only difference being the names of the keys. The notes of the D-flat major scale are Db, Eb, F, Gb, Ab, Bb, C, and Db. D-flat major scale and C# major scale are thus enharmonic minors.  Notice that all the notes in C sharp scale are sharps.

Six notes of the C sharp major scale are played on black keys. If noticed carefully, C#, D#, F#, G#, A#, and C# are all black keys on the piano. The third note and the seventh note, i.e. E# and B# are played on white keys. 

Playing the C Sharp Major Scale on Piano

Playing the C# major scale on the piano and mastering it by practicing several times will reward in many ways. It will improve speed vehicle playing other major scales. Every major scale has a different set of rules assigned to the fingerings. The fingers are given number names and they follow a special pattern to enhance the ease of playing the piano. 

There are different formulas for the left hand and the right hand. C#, D#, E#, F#, G#, A#, B#, C#

• 3, 2, 1, 4, 3, 2, 1, 3 is the formula followed for the left hand.
• 2, 3, 1, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2 is the formula followed for the right hand. 
• Numbers are assigned to the fingers of the hand as 1,2,3,4, and 5 for the thumb, index, middle finger, ring finger, and pinky respectively. These numbers are the same for each hand. 
• Evidently from the formula, C#, D#, and E# are played using the middle finger, index finger, and thumb.  
• The ring finger, middle finger, index, and thumb are used to play F#, G#, A#, and B#  respectively. 
• The middle finger is used to play C#, the last note of the octave.
• According to the formula for the right hand, the index, middle finger, and thumb are used to play  C#, D#, and E# notes of the C# major scale.
• The index finger, middle finger, and ring finger is used to play F#, G#, and A#.
• B# and C# are played by the thumb and index finger. 

Degrees of C Sharp Major Scale

The degrees of the C# major has a pattern explained as follows:

• The tonic is always the first note, here it is C#.
• The second note of the C# scale is D# which above the Tonic note of the scale. Thus, the D# is called the Supertonic note of the scale.  
• The third note of the C# scale is the mediant, which is the E# key here.
• The fourth note is below the dominant of the C# scale, thus it can be called the subdominant F#.
• C# major scale has a dominant at the fifth position, which is a G# key. 
• There is a submediant at the sixth position, which is the A# note. 
• The leading tone of the scale which leads to the higher octave is the B# note. 
• The Octave has the highest pitch at C# note, which is eight in number. 

C Sharp Major and Major Scale Formula

All major scales follow the Whole step and half step formula WWHWWWH. This formula indicates that there are five whole steps and two half steps. The five whole steps are the ones played by skipping a half step in between. 

• From C# to D# is a whole step, where one has to skip a half step or a semitone.
• From D# to E# is a whole step again.
• The fourth note F# is reached without skipping a key. This means the step therein was a half step. 
• Again moving on to the fifth key G# one has to skip a key and make a whole step.
• From G# to A#, i.e. fifth to the sixth position notes, one has to skip a key, making it a whole step. 
• From A# to B# is a whole step.
• From B# to C# again one skips no key, the keys are adjacent. The step is a half step.