Major

The major scale is fundamental to Western music and appears in a variety of styles including pop, jazz, folk, and to a lesser extent, rock. It is bright and happy-sounding. Here are the notes, tones, and intervallic structure of this seven-tone (diatonic) scale, based on G.

G major, patterns 1 – 5

The major scale has five distinct “positional” patterns on the neck. Since the major scale contains all the tones of major pentatonic (page 18), the pentatonic boxes appear within these major patterns. This makes learning the major scale somewhat easier because you are simply adding to patterns previously learned. Below, the major pentatonic boxes are shown in solid dots with added tones 4 and 7 shown in grey dots. Taken together, they form the diatonic major scale.

Fingering: Pattern 1 is in second position. Pattern 2 is in fifth position (fourth on strings 3 and 4). Pattern 3 is in seventh position. Pattern 4 is in ninth position (tenth on strings 1 and 2). Pattern 5 is in twelfth position (eleventh on string 3).

The astute guitarist will recognize that these patterns are the same as E minor (page 26). Only the roots and anchor chords are different—but this is a critical difference which changes how the ear hears the scale.

It is therefore wise to practice G major as its own set of patterns, to see it properly “attached” to its major anchors. Since you are familiar with the shapes already, learning them as G major should go quickly!

• Pause the scale now and then to play the G chords. This way, your ear will be sure to hear G as the root. Also, try shifting between playing just the solid pentatonic dots and the full diatonic patterns. This makes for a great exercise!

Other tonalities

Below are full neck patterns for E and C major, along with the appropriate “anchor” chords. Play the chords and patterns for each tonality.

For other keys, simply slide the nearest pattern up or down the neck. (See page 63 for note names on the neck, if necessary.)

G major, three notes per string

For faster scale runs, three-note-per-string scale patterns are useful. There are seven different three-note-per-string patterns—one beginning on each tone of the scale. Once again, these are the same patterns you learned as E natural minor (page 28). Here, however, we will anchor them to G roots and G major chords.

• Consistent alternate picking is recommended, beginning with a downstroke. For example, when playing any of these patterns, string 6 will always be ‘down-up-down’ followed by ‘up-down-up’ on string 5. Repeat this approach on strings 4 and 3, then again on strings 2 and 1.

Fingering: Same as natural minor three-note-per-string patterns (see page 28).

Other tonalities, three notes per string

Below are the three-note-per-string patterns for E and C major. Number 1 begins on the root on string 6 and the sequence of the patterns always remains the same.

For other keys, simply slide the patterns up or down the neck. (See page 63 for note names on the neck.)