The different patterns of tones and semitones in which we climb the diatonic scales are known as modes. Most commonly used are the diatonic scales - formed from seven sounds that divide the octave into five tones and two semitones arranged in various ways, and never with two consecutive semitones. We can go up two steps at a time and we will have a whole-tone scale (scale composed tone intervals), or we can go up using a mixture of tones and semitones.

We can play all the steps and, in this case, we will obtain a chromatic scale (a scale composed by semitone intervals).

There are several ways to 'go up' or 'down' a scale. The difference between one pitch and its nearest neighbour is called a semitone. The scale should be understood as a series of steps, and for this we have to imagine the piano keyboard as a series of equally spaced pitches. In fact, most musicians, and even many non-musicians, can distinguish major and minor keys just by listening to the music.The term scale indicates a series of sounds sorted in ascending or descending order of pitch, starting from any note and continuing until it reaches the octave above or below. Although it also has a strong tonal center (the Western tradition of tonal harmony is based on major and minor keys and scales), music in a minor key is more likely to sound sad, ominous, or mysterious. This contrasts with the moods usually suggested by music that uses minor keys, scales, and chords. The 'bright'-sounding major chords and the strong feeling of tonality are what give major keys their happy, pleasant moods. They also give a strong feeling of having a tonal center, a note or chord that feels like 'home', or 'the resting place', in that key.

In major keys, the notes of the scale are often used to build 'bright'-sounding major chords. How are these moods produced? Music in a particular key tends to use only some of the many possible notes available these notes are listed in the scale associated with that key. The simple, sing-along, nursery rhymes and folk songs we learn as children the 'catchy' tunes used in advertising jingles the cheerful, toe-tapping pop and rock we dance to the uplifting sounds of a symphony: most music in a major key has a bright sound that people often describe as cheerful, inspiring, exciting, or just plain fun.

G flat major scales