The major (Ionian) scale is the default “bright / stable” sound in Western music. It’s the backbone of diatonic harmony: I, ii, iii, IV, V, vi and vii° all come straight from it. Common genres: classical, pop, folk, film music, worship, EDM melodies. Usage: build singable melodies, outline major triads/7ths, and write progressions like I–V–vi–IV. For improvisation, target chord tones on strong beats and use the remaining scale tones as passing/neighbor tones.