In this lesson we will explore how to expand our scales further. We are still looking just at the single example of the C major scale. However we can play that scale in different positions on our fretboard. We can also play the scale over more than 1 octave.
In lesson 6, we learned our first scale pattern. We played the C major scale from the C on string 5 to the C on string 2. But in fact there is a C note on each string of your guitar somewhere between the open string and fret 12. As we learn where they are, this opens up possibilites for new ways to play our scales. Some scales will be the same as the one above, but played in a different position on your guitar. Others will be different scales - still a major scale, but covering a different octave.
Here are the 6 C notes:
1 E |--8------------------------
2 B |-----1---------------------
3 G |--------5------------------
4 D |-----------10--------------
5 A |---------------3-----------
6 E |------------------8--------
So using these root notes we can create scales in various positions on our guitar. You have already learned to play the C major scale like this...
1 E |--------------------------|
2 B |-------------------0--1---|
3 G |-------------0--2---------|
4 D |----0--2--3---------------|
5 A |-3------------------------|
6 E |--------------------------|
...but it could also be played like this:
1 E |--------------------------|
2 B |--------------------------|
3 G |----------------2--4--5---|
4 D |-------2--3--5------------|
5 A |-3--5---------------------|
6 E |--------------------------|
The scale is identical. The only change is that you have chosen notes on different strings to create the scale. My suggestion for fingering is to play the first scale in first position (play C with your third finger, D open, E with your second finger, and so on), and the second scale in second position (so you will now play C with your second finger, D with your fourth finger, E with your first finger and so on).
The six patterns that follow are all examples of a C major scale. Each pattern is distinguished by which pair of strings the first and last notes are on.
From string 5 to string 2
Play in first position (play note 1 with third finger)
1 E |--------------------------||----------------------------|
2 B |-------------------0--1---||-1--0-----------------------|
3 G |-------------0--2---------||-------2--0-----------------|
4 D |----0--2--3---------------||-------------3--2--0--------|
5 A |-3------------------------||----------------------3-----|
6 E |--------------------------||----------------------------|
From string 5 to string 3
Play in second position (play note 1 with second finger)
1 E |--------------------------||----------------------------|
2 B |--------------------------||----------------------------|
3 G |----------------2--4--5---||-5--4--2--------------------|
4 D |-------2--3--5------------||----------5--3--2-----------|
5 A |-3--5---------------------||-------------------5--3-----|
6 E |--------------------------||----------------------------|
From string 6 to string 4
Play in seventh position (play note 1 with second finger)
1 E |--------------------------||----------------------------|
2 B |--------------------------||----------------------------|
3 G |--------------------------||----------------------------|
4 D |----------------7--9--10--||-10-9--7--------------------|
5 A |-------7--8--10-----------||----------10-8--7-----------|
6 E |-8--10--------------------||-------------------10-8-----|
From string 6 to string 3
Play in fifth position (play note 1 with fourth finger).
You will need to move to fourth position for the last 2 notes.
1 E |--------------------------||----------------------------|
2 B |--------------------------||----------------------------|
3 G |-------------------4--5---||-5--4-----------------------|
4 D |-------------5--7---------||-------7--5-----------------|
5 A |----5--7--8---------------||-------------8--7--5--------|
6 E |-8------------------------||----------------------8-----|
From string 3 to string 1
Play in fifth position (play note 1 with first finger)
1 E |----------------5--7--8---||-8--7--5--------------------|
2 B |-------5--6--8------------||----------8--6--5-----------|
3 G |-5--7---------------------||-------------------7--5-----|
4 D |--------------------------||----------------------------|
5 A |--------------------------||----------------------------|
6 E |--------------------------||----------------------------|
From string 4 to string 1
Play in seventh position (play note 1 with fourth finger)
1 E |-------------------7--8---||-8--7-----------------------|
2 B |-------------8--10--------||-------10-8-----------------|
3 G |----7--9--10--------------||-------------10-9--7--------|
4 D |-10-----------------------||----------------------10----|
5 A |--------------------------||----------------------------|
6 E |--------------------------||----------------------------|
And there you have it! Hopefully you understand something of what a scale is all about, and can play your first scales up and down your fretboard.
Start with the C notes. The C notes on strings 6 and 5 are the same pitch. And the C notes on strings 4, 3 and 2 are all the same, but one octave higher. Finally, the C note on string 1 is another octave higher again.
So (for example) pattern 1 and pattern 3 cover the same octave, but pattern 5 covers the next octave up.
That should be enough to help you work out the octave for each pattern (and later to identify which octave you are playing for other keys).
And that's it. Happy scale surfing!
There is of course still much to learn, but the set of lessons that you have worked through will give you a good insight into what scales are all about. I have provided one more page, which suggests areas for further study. As I have time I may add more resources on these topics; otherwise you will find good resources elsewhere on the web.
(Need help interpreting the guitar tab symbols used throughout this site? Click here)