The Major Scale Lesson Pack will help you learn and apply the major to the guitar fretboard. The pack includes the following:
- You’ll want to review some of the concepts and learnings from this lesson workbook to solidify your understanding of major scale theory.
- A 16-page practice guide with exercises and licks to help you develop a common sense understanding of the major scale, apply it in your improvisations and chords progressions, and visualize it all over the fretboard.
- Each exercise is accompanied by audio examples, and there’s also a chord progression for each major scale.
- The formatted PDF version of the Major Scale lesson.
The Major Scale of Guitar: Patterns, Positions, & Theory
People use the major scale when playing music or writing. It’s also a great scale to learn on as it is vibrato-invariant and uses white keys only. It is going to be the centerpiece of your theory this week! To understand chord building and scales, start with the major scale. In this lesson we will take a look at what makes up the major scale and learn the major scale patterns and positions on the guitar fretboard.
Why Learn Scales on Guitar
One common misconception about guitar scales is that it’s only for soloing. It is a false assumption. Scales are a great way to solo on your guitar. But there is so much more.
Music theory is built on the knowledge of guitar scales. Understanding chords, progressions and interval qualities is difficult if you don’t know the major scale.
Let’s begin with some scale theory in order to better understand the guitar scale. Next, we’ll dive into the major chord and examine how it provides the foundation for all guitar theory concepts.
Theory, Music and Major Scale
Before we move on to the details of a major scale, let us first understand what a music score is.
A scale is a set of musical notes that are ordered by pitch. Instead of chords, where the notes are played together in a series, scale notes can be played separately. You can play them either ascending (increasing or decreasing in pitch)
The intervals or distance between notes of the scale are used to determine the scale.
Major scale is composed of 7 notes plus an octave (root note plays an octave lower/higher).
Major Scale Pattern of Steps
A major scale is one of the most common scales in music. It’s often called a “diatonic scale,” because it includes “tones” that are separated by half steps or whole steps (whole number/half number).
Movement of the bow in music is just a step between two notes.
Step on a guitar is the equivalent of two frets and if you step off, it’s equivalent to one fret. You may also see “semitones” mentioned such as in the example above. A whole step equals two semitones while a half step equals one semitone.
- Whole Step = 2 frets (2 semitones)
- Half Step = 1 fret (1 semitone)
You start of with the tonic chord and then move on up to the next available chord. Which one to choose is the major scale:
Whole – Whole – Half – Whole – Whole – Whole – Half
You may also see it written as:
W – W – H – W – W – W – H
You can see how this scale is created by putting a “1” in the middle of the keyboard, then playing all of these notes starting on that “1”:
- From G to A is one whole step, or two half steps (2 semitones) (G – G# – A)
- From A to B is one whole step, or two half steps (A – A# – B)
- From B to C is one half step (B – C)
- From C to D is one whole step (C – C# – D)
- From D to E is one whole step (D – D# – E)
- From E to F# is one whole step (E – F – F#)
- From F# to G is one half step (F# – G)
Major scales are formed by using this pattern: C, D, E, F#, G. They can be used for any key or key signature. It’s important to recognize the major scale patterns in order to make sense of changing keys and create harmonious melodies.
Interval Qualities of the Major Scale
Each interval of a scale has different qualities. The intervals for the major scale are as follows:
| Interval | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
| Quality | Unison | Major 2nd | Major 3rd | Perfect 4th | Perfect 5th | Major 6th | Major 7th | Octave |
| Semitones | 0 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 7 | 9 | 11 | 12 |
The diagram below shows the relationship between the intervals and notes of the G major scale.
The interval qualities of a major scale can change, but the notes may not be the same. This concept is important because it allows for the creation of movable shapes or patterns across fretboard. This means that the G major scale pattern will also work for C major, D minor, and so on. Only the base note of the pattern’s root note is affected by this change.
We’ll now take a look at major scale positions, and the patterns that make these positions.
Major Scale Patterns and Positions on the Guitar Fretboard
You can think of the guitar fretboard as one big connected grid. Within this grid, you find patterns of notes. Putting all the notes together in a pattern is the same idea as putting all the notes in scales together; hence, scales are derived from patterns found on the guitar fretboard. When you learn to recognize the patterns in scales, you can play anything down here… They give you access to everything, which means they are great options for composers.
CAGED System: A Method for Learning Scale Patterns and Positions
After you have learned the basics of playing major scales on your guitar, you might want to go one step further. Certain musical concepts will help you better understand the guitar fretboard in general, rather than learning specific scale patterns.
You won’t be restricted to one way of playing the C Major scale if you take the time to learn these concepts. These concepts will allow you to fluently play across the fretboard at different positions.
CAGED is one of these concepts. CAGED is a chord-shaped approach that helps to understand the guitar fretboard.
The system is called “CAGED” as it uses five simple, open-position chord shapes.
- C (Pattern 1)
- A (Pattern 2)
- G (Pattern 3).
- E (Pattern 4).
- D (Pattern 5).
Once you are familiar with these chord shapes, it is possible to move them into moveable barre chord shapes. These shapes can be played anywhere on the guitar’s neck.
This isn’t all the way you can create scale shapes on your fretboard. The 3 notes per string method is another popular option. Both are equally valid, but I do not believe one is better than the other. It’s personal preference, and you should choose what suits you best. The resource section at the end of this lesson contains 3 examples of notes per string.
As an example, we’ll keep using G major. To avoid confusing these positions with G minor, the diagrams will be labeled using intervals to strengthen the application to all major scales. Intervals are an important concept in music theory.
Position 1
Begin with the G note at the 3rd fret on the 6th fret. Next, move each note in the scale across the fretboard (descending) and then back to the beginning position (ascending). While it’s good to learn these scales, it is a good idea to start and end on the root note. However, you should also play all the notes.
You should also note the middle diagram (root note pattern) for each position. It is a good way to start navigating the scale positions by using the root note. The position 1 root note contains three notes that form a triangle on the fretboard.
The diagram to the right shows the recommended fingering position. You are free to experiment with different fingerings, and to adjust it to your liking.
Position 2
Position 2 of the major scale has only two root notes. They are located on strings 4 and 2. Similar to position 1, practice the major scale starting at the root note, and then play ascending or descending.
This position is connected to position 1 by the notes on frets 4, and 5. Although the actual frets may change depending on the major scale, the association will remain the same. The note intervals used to connect position 1 and 2 will be the same.
Position 3
Position 3 of the major chord contains two root notes. They are located on the 2nd or 5th strings. Take note of the root note patterns as well as the connecting notes in the second position.
Position 4
You can find the root notes on the 3rd, 5th and 5th strings by moving up the fretboard to Position 4.
The fourth position of the major chord spans many frets by including the p4 on 6th string. This note can be omitted if desired, but I prefer it to be included in this position.
Position 5
The fifth position on the major scale has three root notes, just like position 1. Two of them fall on the 6th or 1st strings. This position also has a position shift. Pay attention to the suggested fingerings to learn how to play over it.
Connected Scale Patterns
It is important to remember that these patterns all connect to the positions above and below via shared notes. This relationship is illustrated in the diagram below. The patterns continue to repeat until you reach the final position, position 5.
These scale patterns can be moved, just to be clear. These diagrams show the G major scale. However, the patterns can be applied to any major scale. These patterns can be moved up one fret to play the G# major scale.
You can move it up two frets to play the A major scale. You can move the root note up and down on the fretboard to play any major scale using the same pattern.
Single Octave Major Scale Patterns
The scale positions shown above can be broken down into single-octave patterns. These scale patterns can be created by starting at the root note of strings 3 through 6.
Root on 6th String
There are four common scale patterns that start with the root of the 6th string. The first scale pattern uses open notes, but the pattern can be moved and played on any neck. Pattern four is the A major scale. The root note is located on the 5th fret (6th string) and we have moved to it.
Root on 5th String
These are the most common patterns you will find for the major scale if you use the root note of the 5th string. These patterns are nearly identical to the patterns of the root note on the 6th string. One exception is when you move the scale to the 2nd strings, which are tuned 1/2 step lower.
Root on 4th String
The patterns on the 4th string change slightly to compensate for the tuning changes of the 3rd. These patterns are similar to the ones you saw before.
Root on 3rd String
We have finally created the patterns that start with the root of the third string.
Conclusion
A music scale, as it is commonly known, is a set of notes that are arranged in a specific order according to pitch. It can be played separately or together. Major scale is a diatonic scale that consists of 7 notes and an octave. It is built using a formula of half-whole step intervals (WW-W–H-W–W-W–H).
It is essential to learn the major scale because it can be used to create many musical concepts. It is essential to learn music theory. Take your time to understand this lesson.
FAQ for Major Scale Lesson Pack
What is the Major Scale Lesson Pack?
The Major Scale Lesson Pack is a pack of lessons that will teach you how to play the major scale on the guitar. The lessons are completely free and they come with video tutorials, audio tracks, and interactive tabs. You can also use this pack as a reference or to learn new chords.
What are the benefits of the Major Scale Lesson Pack?
Major Scale Lesson Pack is a premium guitar lesson course that teaches you the basics of playing the major scale on your guitar.
The Major Scale Lesson Pack has a lot of benefits. It’s an engaging, interactive and easy to follow course that teaches you how to play your favorite songs on guitar. It also helps you learn how to read music, which is an essential skill for any guitarist.
What is included in the Major Scale Lesson Pack?
Major Scale Lesson Pack is an online course that teaches students how to play the major scale on the guitar. The pack includes a video lesson, a chord chart and a sheet of tablature.
The course is designed for beginners who have no idea what the major scale is or how to play it. The video lesson starts with an explanation of what scales are and then goes into detail about the major scale. It also covers fingerings, picking technique, and music theory.
The chord chart shows each chord in relation to the scale so that students can see how they relate to one another. Finally, the sheet of tablature contains all 12 notes in order with their corresponding chords so that students can learn how to read music notation and understand what it means when they see it on a piece of.
How can I purchase the Major Scale Lesson Pack?
The Major Scale Lesson Pack is available in the store. The pack includes a PDF copy of the lesson, a video tutorial and audio tracks.
Is it possible to purchase individual scales lessons?
Individual scales lessons are not available and it is not possible to purchase them.
The app itself provides a lot of information on the different scales and their respective chords, but there are no individual lessons for each scale.
What is a major scale?
The major scale is a musical scale, which is the most commonly used in Western music.
The major scale is the first of all scales and it starts on a different note each time. The notes are: C,D,E,F,G,A,B.
The major scale has seven different notes and it repeats that pattern over and over again.
What is the C major scale?
A major scale is a series of eight notes that starts on the note called the tonic.
A major scale is typically written as follows: G-A-B-C-D-E-F#
The first note, also known as the tonic, is given a capital letter and is often played with a different sound than the other seven notes. The tonic can also be called “the first degree” or “the root.” The second note in the series is called the “supertonic.” The third note in the series is called the “mediant.” The fourth note in the series, which comes after mediant, is called “subdominant.”
What are the steps in the C major scale?
The steps in a major scale are as follows:
1. Root note
2. Whole step
3. Half step
4. Whole step
5. Half step
6. Whole step
How can I find my way around the C major scale?
The C major scale is a musical scale that is made up of the notes C, D, E, F, G, A, and B. The first note in the scale is called the tonic. The last note in the scale is called the octave.
There are many different ways to find your way around a C major scale. One way to find your way around it is to start with a specific note and then follow it through each of its eight steps in sequence. For example, if you start with the first step on C and then go up to D and so on until you reach B (the eighth step).
How many notes are there in the C major scale?
There are 12 notes in the C major scale.
What is a pentatonic scale?
Pentatonic scales are a type of scale that consists of five notes per octave. The pentatonic scale is built by starting on the root note, then skipping over two notes and ending on the next root note. Pentatonic scales are important to learn because they are often used in popular music.
The pentatonic scale is an interesting way to play music because it has a lot of tension and release. Picking this type of scale can be a good choice if you want to make your song sound more modern or edgy.
What is a diatonic scale?
A diatonic scale is a musical scale that has seven notes to an octave. This type of scale is also known as the major scale. The major scale is the most popular and common music scale in Western music.