SC-001 • The Major Scale

[elmohler]

Zapped,

Thank you!! This is exactly what I was looking for. Yes to your question, I am trying to reconcile those two scale types. The missing notes concept fills in the holes very nicely. Thanks again.

Eric

 

[Zapped]

Cool, I'm glad I could help. btw if you're just get started, you may not realize that the natural minor scale and it's corresponding (or relative) major scale have a very simple relationship. If you have a major scale, the relative minor scale is found starting 3 half-steps lower. If you have the natural minor scale, the relative major scale is found 3 half-steps higher.

Example: C major, down 3 half-steps to the relative A minor
Example: B minor, up 3 half-steps to the relative D major

The reason that only two of the chord-shapes in my chart below have the 3 half-step relationship has to do with the rigid use of C, A, G, E, D as the chord-names for these positions.

Major 1 (E) = Minor 2 (Dm)   * only 2 half-steps between major & minor shapes
Major 2 (D) = Minor 3 (Cm)   * only 2 half-steps between major & minor shapes
Major 3 (C) = Minor 4 (Am)   * relative major to relative minor, 3 half-steps
Major 4 (A) = Minor 5 (Gm)   * only 2 half-steps between major & minor shapes
Major 5 (G) = Minor 1 (Em)   * relative major to relative minor, 3 half-steps

So what's strange in this table, based on the 3 half-step rule I mentioned earlier, is...

E major's relative minor is C#m.
D major's relative minor is Bm.
A major's relative minor is F#m.

Well, in each case, those minor chord shapes (C#m, Bm, F#m) are unorthodox & would break the simple CAGED scheme. So the "virtual nut" or "root fret" of the position is shifted by a half-step to use a minor chord in the Cm-Am-Gm-Em-Dm set. When you map those three minor positions (Dm, Cm, Gm) to corresponding frets, they're in a slightly different position than the corresponding major shapes - off by one fret.

I'll let you flesh out those details. Try starting with G major (major position 1 at fret 3) and E minor (minor position 2 starting at fret 2, although the lowest note on the E string is at fret 3). If you work out all the positions you'll see the alignment issues for yourself. If it's too much, don't sweat it. This is pretty advanced stuff but should interest you if you want to understand the patterns fully.

[aeondream]

Where are the PDF's on your website that you mentioned in the youtube video about playing scales in 3rds?

[silly6-string]

whats a easy way to learn scales. I can play them on 1 string. but i wanna learn them up and down from 6th string to the 1st. I know how there made wwhwwwh. I know major pent and minor pent. But now i want to learn the major.

[nephente]

Dude, there's a whole section about scales on this very website...

[coboltz]

hey guys...wanna ask...
for all major scales.... ( or even minor pentatonic scales )
how do we know which frets the scales are?
like the chord boxes doesn't show which frets they are in....
and im can't do my scales without knowing which part of the neck they lie in!!!!
so...help me out yeah?

and for positions 3 and 4 scales...
when we play down to the 6th string, do we go back up to the root note to end our scale?

thanks!!!

[nephente]

hey coboltz,
you seem to know the five positions. the diagrams give you the position of the root-note. move the shape up or down the neck until the 'R' coincides with the root you wanna play. for that you'd need to know where the notes are on the neck.

And yes, start and end a scale on the root note.

[coboltz]

oh hi nephente...thanks for answering my post...
but...
you know for the E shape major scale, the root note is at a G.
then why is it an E shape major scale?

[nephente]

Don't confuse the top of those diagrams with the nut of the guitar!
The shapes can be moved around the neck as you like. If you want to play a G-major scale then play it with the 'R' on the 3rd fret 6th string (6:3).
Want C#-major? Play the same pattern with the 'R' on (6:9).
Now the answer why it's referred to as E-shape:
Take a look at the red notes in the diagram. I hope you recognize the open E-major chord.

[coboltz]

oh!!!
thanks a lot!!!
i was actually figuring out where should i play the scales on...
so its an e SHAPED scale.  not an e major scale.

Okay... i see i seee
thanks a lot mate!!

[Taylor]

I'm a little confused with the root note stuff. Is the root note which note I'm supposed to start with?

And if so, what do I do if say, the sixth string pattern is 1 2 4 and the root note is 2?

[Bootstrap]

I'm a little confused with the root note stuff. Is the root note which note I'm supposed to start with?

And if so, what do I do if say, the sixth string pattern is 1 2 4 and the root note is 2?

Then you start on the 2 and ascend up the scale to the end, then descend the scale back to the 1 and then ascend back to the 2 to finish - capice?

Cheers, Bootstrap

[jaba]

Hey everyone
awesome website! i learned a lot! now that I m pretty fine with the minor pentatonic I want to explore the Major scale.. I already tried to improvise a bit over wonderful tonight by eric clapton, but what is kinda missing is some cool licks.. the blues lessons where so good and it helped me tremendously to get some licks for each position which I can practice and then vary..
Somebody got some licks maybe for the Major scale for me? Just like Justin did for the Minor Pentatonic in the blues section..
Thank you very very very very much!!

[licksnkicks]

The major scale is seeming to pose a difference of opinion with my teacher.  I showed him exactly what Justin has on here for the 5 major scale shapes and he said that they were very classically oriented.  He has taught me to cycle through the scale lets say at the G on the low E string and cycle up to the G on the B string.  It does move my playing up the neck with the same intentions of playing the shapes BUT without playing the 5 shapes.  I don't get it.  Is his way not correct and Justin's is, I don't know.  What do I learn.  I have to know as this is holding my progress back.  This should of gone on the other thread the major scale and the 5 positions.  Sorry!

Licksnkicks

[Bootstrap]

Hi Lnk - just different ways to skin the cat - the reason J teaches the way he does is because he aligns to the CAGED system teaching G Major first - because it follows the CAGED system it then becomes uber-easy to find the other keys anywhere on the neck and it makes chord construction as simple as it gets (well that is my interpretation of why he teaches that way anyway).

LOL it doesn't matter which system you follow, all the notes in the key of G are still in exactly the same place on the guitar fretboard

I think some people learn AND some people teach scale patterns without ever really understanding why they do it that way.

My advice would be to ask your teacher why he teaches the way he does and what does he perceive the benefits of why he does it that way - then choose which way you think will suit you.

FWIW I have yet to be convinced any of the other methods I've seen are more logical than J's but that could be just the way my head works.

Cheers, B