Major Scales 101 Options

[Andrew Cockburn]

Major Scales 101

Introduction

In this lesson we are going to discuss what is probably the most important scale in Western music. The reason that it is so important, apart from the fact that it gets used in a huge proportion of modern songs, is that it is also the foundation of our musical system. We use it as a basis for describing intervals, building chords and specifying key signatures. In most cases, the Major scale is assumed as the norm from which other scales deviate. The only other scale that approaches the prominence of the Major scale is the Minor scale, which is itself derived from the Major scale - which we will look at in a later lesson.

With that in mind, lets have a look at it!

The Major Scale

The Major scale is a 7 note scale, built using the formula: 2 2 1 2 2 2 1

You should be familiar with scale formulae from the previous lessons. Lets have a look at how we would build a scale of G major. Obviously our root note is G, and building up from the formula we get the following notes:

G + 2 semitones = A
A + 2 semitones = B
B + 1 semitone = C
C + 2 semitones = D
D + 2 semitones = E
E + 2 semitones = F#
F# + 1 semitones = G

So there you have it - a scale of G major has the notes G, A, B, C, D, E, F# G, and as usual you can apply this formula with any other root note to get the exact scale that you want.

On the Fretboard

How do we play this on the guitar? Well, sticking with our G Major scale, we can construct 7 different boxes - why 7? Well, if we start with our root note of G on the E string, we can play a scale by moving up that single string, and each place we land can be the basis of a new box. However, for Major scales, a couple of the boxes will only be separated by 1 semitone, so be convention we miss these out, leaving 5 boxes, separated by either 2 or 3 semitones.

Here they are:







And that in a nutshell is the Major scale!

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This post has been edited by Andrew Cockburn: Oct 11 2007, 05:41 AM

[Tinette]

OK… so the whole pattern is not simply and only the Gmajor scale, but is in fact the Major scale pattern and works for every note no matter if tone o semi. Is it?
In that sense if I play a C note as first and then go on, I'll be playing a C major scale.

What I'm not sure about is the role of patterns from 2 to the last, basically 'cause they don't start with a G...
What I am supposed to do when I finish the first pattern? The most easy exercise is to play it back from lowest note to the highest.
But maybe the idea is that I have to link it with the second playing all the notes available in the major scale formula?
If so how? I start from the A at the 7 fret, 4 string and then again looking for the next G?

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[Andrew Cockburn]

OK… so the whole pattern is not simply and only the Gmajor scale, but is in fact the Major scale pattern and works for every note no matter if tone o semi. Is it?
In that sense if I play a C note as first and then go on, I'll be playing a C major scale.

Exactly!

What I'm not sure about is the role of patterns from 2 to the last, basically 'cause they don't start with a G...
What I am supposed to do when I finish the first pattern? The most easy exercise is to play it back from lowest note to the highest.

You need to understand about root notes - they are the key to this. There is some info on that in my introduction to scales, here.

Basically, they are all valid notes for playing, but the root note is what allows you to string the boxes together. Practice each box from the root note, but be aware that when playing you can use any note from any of the boxes and still be using the same scale.

But maybe the idea is that I have to link it with the second playing all the notes available in the major scale formula?
If so how? I start from the A at the 7 fret, 4 string and then again looking for the next G?

Again, the root notes help you here - the root note is always the first note of the scale, and in all the boxes it is marked to help you out.

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[Tinette]

Basically, they are all valid notes for playing, but the root note is what allows you to string the boxes together. Practice each box from the root note, but be aware that when playing you can use any note from any of the boxes and still be using the same scale.
Again, the root notes help you here - the root note is always the first note of the scale, and in all the boxes it is marked to help you out.

Ok, so if I go on playing the whole stuff I'm anyway playing a G major scale because is the only one that, if analized, turns out to follow the major scale formula for the G note? I mean even if I start with an F, the steps that I follow are TTSTTTS correct only if we analize them for G note and would be wrong for all the others. Is it?

If the root is the first note, that means that the first pattern is a shorter exercise than the first, fine? I mean I just have an octave from the first G to the last, while I have 2 in the first pattern. That if I play a pattern at a time.
And if I play them together I'll pass from 3 fret 1 string to 5 fret 4 string? Basically playing the second octave of the first pattern two times, one for first pattern and one for the second? mmmh...

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