The C major scale is a fundamental scale used in western classical music. It is often used as a starting point for beginners learning to play an instrument. While the term C major scale is commonly used to describe this particular scale, there are other names for it. One popular synonym is the Ionian mode. This name comes from the ancient Greek modes of music and describes the first mode, which is identical to the C major scale. Other synonyms for the C major scale include the natural C scale, the white keys on a piano, and the diatonic scale. These synonyms all refer to the same set of notes: C, D, E, F, G, A, B, and then back to C.