Major Guitar Scales

Stumble It!

In this guitar scales lesson, we're taking a look at the complete map for a Major key system. If you figure out how this page works, you know a lot about standard tuning.

The patterns below are built in the key of C Major. These are all natural tones (C doesn't have any sharps or flats). Also, check out the note names for these patterns.

The Frame System for 'the 7'

Look for octave shapes. Both chords and scales wrap around or fill in octaves. Octave shapes are the basic skeleton of the guitar.

Download a printable pdf of these 7 patterns

More on the Patterns

The information on the left.

• Root = which string the root is on. Either 6, 5, or 4.
• Finger = which fretting hand finger starts the scale. The first number is for all higher fretted versions of the scale. The number in parenthesis is the finger that starts the scale at the nut for the scale form -the origin.
• SForm = Scale Form. It is the lowest possible fingering of the scale pattern - what we are calling the origin.
• CForm = Chord Form. It is chord form for the I chord. Sometimes, more than one are possible (guitar scales which shift positions). Sometimes, they are partial.
• PFrame = Pentatonic Frame. For the major, if we 'took away' the 4 and 7 scale degrees, we would have the pentatonic. The pentatonics can be viewed as hollowed out Major scales.

Dot Types

See the chart below. Since this lesson is for the Major, not all symbols below are utilized.

R stands for Root. A Root is the base tone for something (chord, scale, arpeggio) to be built. It is the tone that names the chord, scale, or arpeggio.

Why do you call the 5/2 the B-flat? I've seen it called an A form.

We call it this to simply differentiate it from 5/1. Both 5/2 and 5/1 wrap around the A form for the I chord.

Wrap Up

You can label guitar scales and chord forms however suits you best.

Music is not pattern playing, yet learning these gets you functional in all keys, by sliding the grid around to different starting points (heels).

This system is just one way to organize standard tuning. And, an effective one (like the CAGED chord forms).

"The map is not the territory." Alford Korzybski

7 Major Patterns in C- Note Names

Guitar Scales - Pentatonic Frames