Playing the Major Scale

We can get a better understanding of the major scale if we lay it out horizontally:

Thinking about the distance from one note to the next we can create the major scale formula, namely a series of whole steps and half steps.

The formula is:

Whole-Whole-Half-Whole-Whole-Whole-Half

WWHWWWH

A major scale can therefore be played from any note, but the pattern of whole steps and half steps must be strictly kept.