Confession #21 - Back to the Major Scale!

In Confession #8 Learn the Major Scale we learned a one octave scale pattern for the major scale, with the root note on the third string.

TWO OCTAVE MAJOR SCALE PATTERN

Today we'll learn a two octave major scale pattern with its root note on the sixth string.  The TAB starts on the C at the 8th fret of the sixth string, so this is the C major scale.

(Click to Enlarge)

This pattern can be slid up and down the sixth string to play the major scale in different keys.  If you were to play this pattern starting on the A at the 5th fret of your sixth string, you would be playing the A major scale.

The first and second measure both start and end on a C.  Thus, this can be viewed as two separate one octave patterns, with one pattern starting on the sixth string, and the other pattern starting on the 4th string.


ISOLATE THE LOWER OCTAVE PATTERN

Let's put the first one octave pattern starting on the sixth string in box format.  The root note C, is in bold.

One octave major scale pattern
Root note on sixth string

The neat thing about this one octave pattern in the first measure is that it can be played  starting from a root note on the fifth string, and it will still give us a one octave major scale.

One octave major scale pattern
Root note on fifth string

FRETBOARD REVELATIONS

Let's compare the one octave pattern in the first measure of the TAB above to the one octave pattern we learned in Confession #8 Learn the Major Scale.

One octave major scale pattern
Root note on sixth string

One octave major scale pattern
Root note on third string

These two patterns actually look very similar.  The layout of the notes on the:

• the sixth string is the same as on the third string,
• the fifth string is the same as on the second string, and
• the fourth string is the same as on the first string.

The only difference is that when moving up one whole step to switch from the note D to the note E:

• in the first pattern, we have to back 3 frets,
• in the second pattern, we have to go back only 2 frets.

This observation provides some insight into standard tuning:

• On any of strings 6, 5 ,4 or 2, if you move up one string and back 3 frets (i.e. switch from finger 4 to finger 1), that's a whole step.  
• On string 3, if you move up one string and back 2 frets, that's a whole step. 

The way I like to remember these rules is that:

• when moving from finger 4 on one string to finger 1 on the next higher string, that's a whole step, and
• when moving from string 3 to string 2, the whole step is one fret closer than it is on the other strings.

Remembering these rules will allow you to build a major scale anywhere on the fretboard.  Apply the major scale formula from Confession #8 Learn the Major Scale and then use these rules when switching strings.

Last week's confession, Confession #20 - Palm Muting! (Part 1), has been updated to include a video.


Next Week's Confession - Finger 3-4 Independence! (Ex. #2)