G♭ Major Scale

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G♭ Major Scale it starts and ends with G♭. G♭ Major is the same as F# Major, since G♭ and F# are enharmonic equivalent notes. The relative minor of G♭ Major is E♭ minor (or E flat minor). Both of these keys have B♭, E♭, A♭, D♭, G♭, C♭. In other words, apart from F, all other notes have a flat.

G♭ Major Key Signature

Here’s the key signature for G♭ Major – B♭, E♭, A♭, D♭, G♭ and C♭.

Key signature of G flat Major in treble clef. This is also the key signature of E flat minor, the relative minor of G flat major.
Key signature of G flat Major in bass clef. This is also the key signature of E flat minor, the relative minor of G flat major.
Key signature of G flat Major in alto clef. This is also the key signature of E flat minor, the relative minor of G flat major.
Key signature of G flat Major in tenor clef. This is also the key signature of E flat minor, the relative minor of G flat major.

Notes in the Scale of G♭ Major

When we play a scale, we usually start off with an ascending scale (the notes get higher), followed by descending scale (the notes get lower).

Ascending scale of G♭ Major: G♭, A♭, B♭, C♭, D♭, E♭, F, G♭

Descending scale of G♭ Major: G♭, F, E♭, D♭, C♭, B♭, A♭, G♭

Degrees of the Scale

Degrees of the scale refers to the number we assign to each note of a scale. When we are assigning degrees of a scale, we look at the scale in ascending order. Here are the notes for the various degrees of the G♭ Major scale:

1st degree: G♭

2nd degree: A♭

3rd degree: B♭

4th degree: C♭

5th degree: D♭

6th degree: E♭

7th degree: F

Technical Names of Notes in G♭ Major

Instead of using the degree of the scale, we can also use technical names of notes.

tonic – G♭

supertonic – A♭

mediant – B♭

subdominant – C♭

dominant – D♭

submediant – E♭

leading note – F

Semitones and Tones

In all major scales, they follow this:

Pairs of notesTone or semitone apart?
1st -> 2ndtone
2nd -> 3rdtone
3rd -> 4thsemitone
4th -> 5thtone
5th -> 6thtone
6th -> 7thtone
7th -> 8thsemitone

Most adjacent pairs of notes in the major scale are a tone apart, except for the 3rd to 4th note, and the 7th to the 8th note. This doesn’t apply just to G♭ Major scale, but for ALL major scales. By knowing the distance between the notes in a Major scale, we can form any major scale even if we do not know its key signature.

In this case, the semitones are found here:

  • From B♭ to C♭ (3rd to 4th note)
  • From F to G♭ (7th to 8th note)

G♭ Major Scale on different clefs.

Here’s how the G♭ Major scales look like in treble clef (without key signature). I’ve also included the fingerings:

G flat Major ascending and descending scales in treble clef with fingerings included.

Here’s how the G♭ Major scales look like in bass clef (without key signature). I’ve also included the fingerings:

G flat Major ascending and descending scales in bass clef with fingerings included.

Here’s how the G♭ Major scales look like in alto clef.

G flat Major ascending and descending scales in alto clef.

Here’s how the G♭ Major scales look like in tenor clef (without key signature).

G flat Major ascending and descending scales in tenor clef.

How to play the G♭ Major scale on the piano

The fingerings for the right hand part of the G♭ Major scale are:

G♭ -2

A♭- 3

B♭ – 4

C♭ -1

D♭ – 2

E♭ – 3

F – 1

The fingerings for the left hand part of the G♭ Major scale are:

G♭ -4 /2 (use the 4th finger for the lowest note, the rest, use the 2nd finger or index finger)

A♭ – 3

B♭- 2

C♭ -1

D♭ – 3

E♭ – 2

F- 1

Categories: keys, music theory