How to learn Major Scales

Excercise:

Learn to say the following very quickly, from memory:
Flats => BEADGCF
Sharps => FCGDAEB

Once this is mastered, you are ready to learn the major scales. Here are some tips on practicing these: Say them through (try to get under 1 minute) several times. Once you feel comfortable doing this at an inhumanly fast speed, say the phrase for a scale, then play it in one octave, up and down. Move on to the next, etc. If you do this for a month, you will be well on the way to sightreading effectively, and transposition.

Key of C, no sharps or flats, C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C

Key of F, one flat (B), F, G, A, Bb, C, D, E, F

Key of Bb, two flats (B, E) Bb, C, D, Eb, F, G, A, Bb

Key of Eb, three flats (B, E, A) Eb, F, G, Ab, Bb, C,
D, Eb

Key of Ab, four flats (B, E, A, D) Ab, Bb, C, Db, Eb,
F, G, Ab

Key of Db, five flats (B, E, A, D, G) Db, Eb, F, Gb,
Ab, Bb, C, Db

Key of C# (Db), seven sharps (F, C, G, D, A, E, B) C#,
D#, E#, F#, G#, A# B#, C#

Key of F# (Gb), six sharps (F, C, G, D, A, E) F#, G#,
A#, B, C#, D#, E#, F#

Key of B (Cb), five sharps (F, C, G, D, A) B, C#, D#,
E, F#, G#, A#, B

Key of E, four shaps (F, C, G, D) E, F#, G#, A, B, C#,
D#, E

Key of A, three shaprs (F, C, G) A, B, C#, D, E, F#,
G#, A

Key of D, two sharps (F, C) D, E, F#, G, A, B, C#, D

Key of G, one sharp (F) G, A, B, C, D, E, F#, G

Bb's => BEADGCF
#'s => FCGDAEB


Courtesy of Robin W.