Building and Playing the Major Scale on Guitar
The major scale is the basis of all western music. All other concepts in music are related and measured against the major scale, and all other guitar scales are described by their difference with the major scale (a topic that we will explore more in depth in a future lesson). It goes without saying that a familiarity with this scale is an absolute prerequisite in understanding music theory. This does not mean, on the other hand, that the major scale is not an interesting topic per se. Today we look at the major scale from the melodic point of view and see different playing options on the guitar.
Building the Major Scale
The major scale is defined by the formula W-W-H-W-W-W-H, where “W” stands for “whole tone” (equal to 2 frets on the guitar) and “H” for “half tone” (equal to 1 fret on the guitar). If you have never seen this formula before (and have no idea of what to do with it) here is a step-by-step explanation.
- Choose a root note (we will choose a D) and write it down. This note will give the name to the scale (“D major”).
- The first letter in our formula is a “W”, which means you have to take the note 2 frets higher than D, that is an E and write it down
- The second letter in our formula is again a “W”, so take the note 2 frets higher than E, that is an F#, and write it down.
- The third letter on the formula is “H”, so now you have to take the note that is only 1 fret higher than F#, that is G, and write it down.
- You proceed the same way with all the other letters. If you did everything correctly you will find that the D major scale is D E F# G A B C#
Of course, you should work out the same procedure for all the notes as an exercise. This is what you will find:
This is a complete table of the notes in all major scales. There is no need to learn it by heart: the important thing is that you understand the concept that all major scales come from the same formula, and that they all sound the same.
Now we’ll explore some different ways to actually play the major scale on the guitar. We’ll use a G major scale for all the following examples (the G major scale is G A B C D E F#, as written in the table above), but you can apply the same patterns for all other major scales just by shifting it higher or lower on the fretboard.
Traditional Fingering
The traditional fingering comes from the idea (typical of classical players) that every finger of the left hand should “control” a fret on the guitar. In this case the hand is in the so-called “second position” (the index finger takes care of the second fret, the medium finger of the third fret, the ring finger of the fourth fret and the pinky of the fifth fret). Numbers above the note indicate the finger to use (1=index, 2=middle, 3=ring, 4=pinky).
3-notes-per string Fingering
This is a more modern fingering and it is found throughout the solos of many virtuoso rock/metal players. This is the standard fingering used when a fast lick is needed, since it is more consistent on the right hand (same number of notes). With a bit of exercise this scale can sped up at will. Note also how this scale is longer than the previous one.
Sliding up the Neck
Another idea is to slide up the neck while playing the scale. There are a million ways to do it, but this is one of my favorites. Notice how the pattern repeats itself every two strings.
Conclusion
Today we have seen how the major scale is built and some different ways of playing it on the guitar. There are many more guitar scales that you can use to create your music, and each of them has a different character.