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Home of The Young Christians' Guitar Method series.
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A scale is a series of tones in alphabetical order with a specific distance between notes. The notes of the Major Scale are separated by whole-steps (two frets) and half-steps (one fret). From any given starting point the order of distances between notes will be; whole-step, whole-step, half-step, whole-step, whole-step, whole-step, half-step. |
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| If we were to begin with the C note located on the 1st fret of string 2 and move in the above pattern along the length of the 2nd string we would have the tabbed scale seen below. |
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The C major scale could also be played in the open position . |
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| In order to play two octaves we could choose this fingering that is played within a 4-fret span. |
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| This next fingering lends itself to sweep and legato techniques |
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| The major scale is the first building block for harmony. It is the starting point for chords, arpeggios, melodic patterns and chord progressions and of course as an improvisational tool. The scope is too immense to be discussed in this introduction. The important thing is to recognize the distance between the notes and to memorize and practice some of these fingerings; that will better prepare the early-intermediate guitarist for that which is to come. |
