Hi gang.. calling anyone with a knowledge of music theory and notation

[Yarg!]

Based on this picture: http://img391.imageshack.us/img391/7868/picture0314kw.jpg

How do you know which semi tones you flatten or sharp to make a scale into a major scale? I know the C Major scale doesn't have sharps or flats. But the G major scale has an F sharp. I was wondering how you can tell where the sharp or the flat goes once the scale changes, and what is the reason behind the F sharp on the G Major. Thanks.

If you have Firefox you can just zoom in from browser, if you have IE, just save and zoom in using Xp picture browser.

 

[csilke]

Based on this picture: http://img391.imageshack.us/img391/7868/picture0314kw.jpg

How do you know which semi tones you flatten or sharp to make a scale into a major scale? I know the C Major scale doesn't have sharps or flats. But the G major scale has an F sharp. I was wondering how you can tell where the sharp or the flat goes once the scale changes, and what is the reason behind the F sharp on the G Major. Thanks.

If you have Firefox you can just zoom in from browser, if you have IE, just save and zoom in using Xp picture browser.

OK. Not sure if this is what you wanted but....

As it says a major scale is made up of tone-tone-semitone-tone-tone-tone-semitone. So to work out which sharps/ flats you need you pick your starting note and then work your way up the scale choosing each note to fit the major scale pattern. The gap between most notes is a tone but between E and F, and B and C it is only a semitone. To get the semitone in between two notes separated by a tone you sharpen the bottom note or flatten the top note. So for A major you get:

A + tone => B
B + tone => C sharp (because B -> C is only a semitone)
C sharp + semitone => D
D + tone => E
E + tone => F sharp (because E -> F is only a semitone)
F sharp + tone => G sharp
G sharp + semitone => A (you should always end up on the note you started with)

So A major has C, F and G sharp. Try it for C sharp major for a bit of 'fun'.

Working backwards the tonic note of a major scale can be found by adding a semitone to the last sharp in the key signature (you just have to remember that C major is the one with no sharps).

And to answer your specific question there is a G sharp in F major because if there wasn't you wouldn't have the right tone/ semitone pattern.