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How do major and minor scales differ in their pattern of whole steps and half steps?

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Western music The universality and innate nature of music, and the pentatonic scale, as demonstrated by singer Bobby McFerrin.

In Western music, major and minor scales are both heptatonic (seven-note) scales that divide the octave into specific sequences of whole steps (W) and half steps (H). Their primary difference lies in the arrangement of these intervals.123

The major scale follows the intervallic pattern:
W – W – H – W – W – W – H23

The natural minor scale follows the pattern:
W – H – W – W – H – W – W12

A key distinction is the interval between the first and third notes of the scale. The major scale features a "major third" (two whole steps), while the minor scale contains a "minor third" (a whole step followed by a half step), which contributes to its characteristic sound.3

While the natural minor scale is the standard reference, Western music also utilizes two other common minor scale variants to create different melodic or harmonic effects:
* Harmonic minor: Follows the pattern W – H – W – W – H – (W+H) – H.1
* Melodic minor: Features different intervals depending on whether the scale is ascending or descending.12