ABSTRACT
Scales were drawn with adjoining tetrachords beginning with C major. When the dominant (fifth note) of C major becomes the tonic note of the G major scale, one sharp is added to the scale and likewise to the subsequent key signature. An additional sharp is added with each succeeding scale. The placement of the sharps from left to right on the staff begins with a down-up-down-pattern. However, the placement of the fifth sharp changes direction and does not move up from the previous D sharp. This is to avoid the use of a ledger line above the treble clef for the A sharp. The Circle of Fifths shows the 15 major scales with their increasing number of sharps or flats. The scales with sharps begin clockwise to the right of C major and the scales with flats begin counterclockwise to the left of C major.
