Major and Minor scales

Major Scale
Major and minor scales contain each letter name in order, until the starting note is reached again at the top. We call this starting note the tonic, and name the scale after it.

Major scales have diatonic half steps between the 3rd and 4th notes and the 7th and 8th (or 1st) notes of the scale. All of the other steps are whole steps. 

 

 Minor Scale

Natural minor scales have diatonic half steps between the 2nd and 3rd notes and the 5th and 6th notes of the scale. All of the other steps are whole steps. 

  

Others Minor Scales

Harmonic minor scales are the same as natural minor scales, except the 7th note is raised by a chromatic half step. (Raising this note results in an interval of three half steps between the 6th and 7th notes of the scale.)

 

Ascending melodic minor scales go one step further and raise the sixth and seventh notes by a chromatic half step. 

Note: Descending melodic minor scales are identical to natural minor scales; the sixth and seventh notes are raised only in the ascending form of the scale!