Playing With Major Scales

Since no one usually asks us to recite the C scale, let me show you how it is typically played; though for the record, I think it best if we try and recite it more often. 

 Before you play it, try and count the steps.  This gets a little tricky when we travel across three strings.  As I showed in the last lesson, if the scale is played on one string the pattern 2+1, 3+1 is easily recognized but not in this form.  That is why you have to memorize the notes in the scale and their steps.

If someone is playing in the key of C, this is the scale to use to kick out a lead riff.  Now, I admit that it won't make you sound like a master of licks, but let's face it you are building up to that level.  (A helpful hint is that you do not have to play this scale in order, you just have to make sure your notes are being complemented by the chords played by your accompaniment).  For some of us, our fingers and minds have already learned this C scale as a pattern and can travel through it very quickly, but try and slow down and let your mind take control of your playing again. 

To make it easy, find C with your index finger then move to D with your ring finger, then play E with your index finger and STOP! 

Think to yourself, the scale is C D E F G A B C then add the steps 2+1, 3+1.  Calculating that you have already played the whole steps in the first part of the scale, that leaves you with only one choice; playing the fret next to the E--no guessing involved!

Now let me show you the G scale in the same position.  Let me call this G scale, C position.

Like I said before, you do not have to play the scale in order for it to be a G Scale, you just need to pick up the sharp in the scale you intend on playing, in this case the F#.

Just in case there are any skeptics out there, the G scale played in the form above picks up the F# on the D string, just like I do by altering the steps in the C scale position.  In other words, this G Scale is typically played because it keeps the steps 2+1, 3+1; but mine is 3+1, 2+1.


Now here are the rest of the scales in the C position. Though I am grown now, I feel like at any moment my mom is going to walk in, place her hands on her hips, and ask disgustedly, "young man, are you altering scales again?"  Maybe I shouldn't be, but it is so . . . much . . . fun! 

*Here is a playing tip: do not get bogged down with your finger position, or start to memorize the finger placement, instead focus on counting the steps. *


Now let us take our new found knowledge out for a walk.  Here is the C crossing four strings. Notice that the A and D string notes are played on the same frets, and that those frets match up with the frets having inlays on your guitar.  Someone once told me that those dots, squares, skulls, or whatever is inlayed on the neck of a guitar were not useful; well, what do they know!

Here is the G scale, remember just pick up the F# in the C scale.

If you want to you can do this to the rest of the scales. I have found these two work out best, but the D and F scales are also noteworthy of doing this too.

3D Scale

If you think about the scales as a Rubix Cube, but instead of a cube you would have an octagon giving a side for all of the eight notes on the major scales to lay on, then you would have what I call the 3D Octagonal Scale.

Each octagon is movable, meaning each rotates freely from the other. Here you can see them all lined up, you would only need to count the steps to see which notes were sharped or flatted in each scale, but for now let us focus on the C scale.  If you were able to buy this at the store you would probably get it all lined up like this, but if you have kids, and I do, they would be able to muddle up the order for you very quickly.  I say hand it to them and let them change the order.

Here is what happens.  The notes stay the same but the order gets changed. The picture on the left is the C scale in order, and the one on the right is the C scale mixed up.  Learn the scales in order, but take that 3D Octagonal Scale and give each section a good spin and create many different ways to traverse the notes.


Their is no Guitar Idol show out there yet, that I know of, but if there was I can guess what the judges would say to someone who learned the scales and continued playing them in the same order, "It just sounded scalely."  That is something we should all strive to overcome. We do not want to ascend and descend, then ascend only to descend the scale again. (Now on a playing note, don't refuse all of the order, because EFG, BCD, and ABC just sound good as quick transitions to your root note).