I have learned about the 12 major scales but also another 3 so called major scales, C sharp, C flat, and F sharp. Are these last 3 of any importance or should I forget about them. I am only interested in learning to play a few popular tunes, nothing advanced or classical.

Thank you.

I don't think you need to forget the other three, since they're just the enharmonics of Db, B, and Gb--same scales, different names. It's great that you know the major scales. For playing popular music, though, you probably want to concentrate next on learning the major chords for the 12 scales (triads first) in root position and inversions. Knowing the scales, though, will help you improvise.

Daren, here's a nifty, short article that might help:

Music Theory Basics: Keys

I also have a question concerning scales.

How do/did you guys go about learning the 30 major and minor scales?

Did try one a week? One ever two weeks? Just bang one out until you are comfortable than move on to the next? etc.

I'm trying to think of the most effective way of learning scales.

There are 12 piano keys per octave which are the physical possible starting points for a scale, but there are 15 major scales, simply because 7 scales with 1 to 7 sharps are possible, and 7 possible flats, and of course C with none, totaling 15 major scales.

The ordering of these 15 possible major scales (key signatures for example) is usually organized via the circle of fifths, 7 possible sharps on the right side, and 7 possible flats on the left side, plus C at the top. The three scales at the bottom of the circle can have two names, either sharps or flats (due to the wrap around overlap).

to play scales, I did first is each
-hand separate as many octaves and gc (get comfy)
-then play both hand together 1 octave and gc
-then start exploring to 2 octave till gc
as soon as 2 is accomplished, should be able to move down and up the keyboard

to play different scales:
-for most sharp scales, we can use the fingering from C major, and practically practice them and gc
-once it comes to flat scales, fingering are unique for each scales, really nothing you can do but practice since they are not like simple C major
-it is purely practice for each one of them.
-this could be easier if you know the theory behind keyboarding
-first the formula for major scales (the wwhwwwh)
-then the pattern of occurances in the sharps and flats as the scale go up or down (up like Cmaj to Gmaj to Dmaj) (down like Cmaj to Fmaj to Bflatmaj)
-and surely there are more theory out there. =P

Donovan, I too was concerned about learning the scales. As a matter of fact I was not going to bother learning them but rather I was going to concentrate on sight reading the music in front of me quicker and learning to play the keys to the correct rhythym. Since then, and I've only been at this a few months, and without a teacher, I have started the Sudnow program and he insists one learns the scales real quick.

So that was the thrust of my question in this original post. And I have gathered from the responses I do not have to worry about the three extra scales. Accordingly I am finding that with C being automatic I have separated the sharps from the flats and made a point of learning the 5
scales with sharps and that made it less complicated. And knowing the formula or pattern for building major scales if I forget which ones to raise or lower you can just figure it out on the keyboard.

Now I will start to learn the 6 scales with flats which will only be a little tougher.

As Sudnow hasn't introduced the minor scales yet where I am at in the program I haven't started on them but figure if I break them down the same way it should not be too difficult.