Playing the C# major Scale.
C# happens to be the enharmonic equivalent of D flat major scale.
Enharmonic Equivalent, as the name suggests, denotes the notes that are similar in the way they sound, the only difference among them is that they are written differently and they are spelt differently as well. The simple main notes are represented using the seven different letters in the Alphabet as A-B-C-D-E-F-G. But the notes are far from that simple. You can form twelve different notes with them using the 12 half steps.
C# is the tonic note which means that all the other notes to its right are higher in pitch and hierarchy.
It is a usual rule that the major scale is actually the combination of one complete step and a half step. Like all other major scales the C Sharp Major Scale also needs to stick to the same formula of W-W-H-W-W-W-H. Evidently, in the formula, the “W” refers to the full or whole steps and the others are the half steps. The twelve notes of the scale from C sharp can give minor scale also. This depends on which notes are picked from those twelve in C# scale. The above-mentioned formula is always followed while making a note major if the piano player wishes to.
While playing the piano the distance between two steps that are next to each other, that is, two consecutive steps is called a half step. So, when one plays a whole step, it is generally two consecutive steps crossed on piano keys. To be more precise, if a person goes from one black key to another consecutive black key, it will be called a whole step. In the other way, if a person needs a whole step, one half step should be missed in between. If the consecutive keys are pressed which do not have a gap in between, then the two steps are considered as two half steps.
While playing the major scale, the rule is pressing two whole steps first and then going to a half step. This clearly means that a person needs to skip one key in between the first and second key which are being pressed. Secondly, the third key is pressed without leaving any gaps in between. This shows that after C# key the second key pressed is the D sharp. Though D sharp has two different names according to its position reference on the piano. One name is given because it lies to the right of D, the name D Sharp. Then, it is also called the E flat as it is half step above E. But according to the naming convention, the names are given consequently after the scale name. So, as the scale name is C Sharp the consecutive name that is ‘D’ should be used rather than ‘E’.
The third step in the C# major is one whole step which means, it comes after skipping one half step after D sharp. Again this key has two names which are F or E sharp. E sharp means one half step above ‘E’. “ E” is the key that comes after D. The previous key used was named as D sharp, so this key has to be something with the letter ‘E’ in it according to the conventions. So, the key half step above ‘E” is not called ‘F’, but it is popular as ‘E sharp’ which means half step above ‘E’ . Though this rule is applicable only to this scale, namely C# major. F and Esharp are two names to the same note again, so they can be called enharmonic notes.
The scales have some peculiarities with respect to the way they are played on the keys. The fingers are used in a manner that is convenient and easy. In this case, in C# note the index finger is used to press the first key, which is the C sharp key and the middle finger is used to press the second key which we call the D sharp. The third key is pressed using the thumb finger. The E sharp is generally pressed by using the thumb.
According to the formula of the C# major scale, the fourth key to be pressed is the F# or the G flat which is also written as Gb. Again, these two keys are enharmonic notes. These two names are given to the same sounds or the same notes. Conventionally, as one may find, for this particular
C# major scale the name should be consequent to the previous key’s name. As the previous key was named using the letter ‘E’, this one will be named using the letter ‘F’. So, the fourth key is called F# and it is pressed using the index finger.
The c# major step formula guides to press the key one whole step above F sharp. So, if one half step is skipped after Fsharp the key has two names again, G# and F flat. These two names are given according to their position in the keyboard. As the key is after ‘G’, or one half step above ‘G’ it is called G sharp. On the other hand, as the key is one half step below the ‘A’ key, it is named A flat. But again conventional nomenclature binds us to name it after a consecutive letter after the previous key in the scale. The previous key pressed is called F#, so, this time the Aflat key is called G# in the C# major scale and it is pressed using the middle finger.
The next key pressed is One whole step above the previous, according to the major scale formula in the C3 major scale. The key is an enharmonic of two key names as A# and Bflat. As a total cycle of names is over with the previous note that is G#, we can start again with the letter ‘A’. This is called A#. The key to the right of the A# can be called both C and Bsharp. In C# major scale, conventionally the key is called B#. The last key in this C# major octave is the C# which is played using the index finger. In this way the octave is completed, while coming down the octave same keys are used in reverse order.