1. Lesson One: Major Scales

2. What Is A Major
Scale?
It is a series of seven
notes, ascending
and descending in a
stepwise motion.
The distance
between each note
follows a certain
pattern: whole step,
whole step, half
step, whole step,
whole step, whole
step, and half step.

3.  Each of your four fingers goes with a
corresponding number: 1 for your
index finger, 2 for your middle
finger, 3 for your ring finger, and 4
for your pinky. Your fingers play the
fret that follows the one before.

4. *The *For this
shape of pattern to
the work, you
images will not
relates shift after
to the playing
shape with your
your pinky
fingers finger.
make
with the
strings.

5. To play a major scale, C major for Next, place your fourth
example, place your second finger finger on the fifth fret,
on the third fret of the A string, or onto D.
on C.

6. Place your first finger Place your second finger
on the second fret of on the third fret on the D
the D string, on E. string, on F.

7. Place your fourth Place your first finger
finger on the fifth fret on the second fret of
of the D string, on G. the G string, on A.

8. Place your third finger Place your fourth
on the fourth fret of the finger on the fifth fret
G string, on B. of the G string, on C.

11.  1) Starting on an open  2) Starting on the D or G
string. string (two highest
strings).

12.  To play the major scale
on an open string, on the
open E string for
example, the finger
pattern does not apply.
 You will need to know
the pattern of a major
scale for this exception.
Start the scale by playing
the open string, E.

13.  Next, play the second fret  Next, play the fourth fret
of the E string, F#, with of the E string, G#, with
your second finger. your fourth finger.

14.  Next, play the open A  Next, play the second fret
string. of the A string, B, with
your second finger.

15.  Next, play the fourth fret  Next, play the first fret of
of the A string, C#, with the D string, D#, with
your fourth finger. your first finger.

16.  Finish the scale by  In time…
playing the second fret of
the D string, E, with your
second finger.
Exceptions

17.  If you remember back to  If we start the major
our first pattern, we used scale of the D string, let’s
three strings to play the say the third fret, or on F,
major scale. Now we have we can follow the first
only two or even one finger pattern for the
string, though playing a first five notes (2, 4, 1, 2,
major scale on one string 4).
is not recommended.

19.  From this point, we  How far do we shift?
would normally go to the Well, our first finger
next highest string and should play the next note
finish the scale but in so we only need to shift
this case, we have no once. It also helps us use
more strings to use. To the same pattern of 1, 3,
finish the scale now, we and 4 for the last three
will have to break one of notes of the scale.
our rules and shift.

21.  In time…  Because we shift to finish
the scale starting on the
D string, we would have
to shift many times to
play a scale on the G
string and that runs the
risk of missing the
correct fret to shift to or
not playing the major
scale pattern of whole
steps and half steps.
Exceptions

22. http://www.play-acoustic-
guitar.com/images/Guitar_Finger_Numbers.jpg
Guitar Finger Image
http://fc01.deviantart.net/fs31/f/2008/197/2/c/Bass_Guitar_Her
o_by_Karate_Chop.jpg
Bass Logo Image
http://wheatsbassbook.com/images2/staff.jpg
C Major Scale Image
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ejKEsaIVkI
Video Link
http://www.freewebs.com/guitarlincs/Chords%20and%20diagr
ams%202/OpenEbassscale.jpg
E Major Scale Image
http://www.curtsheller.com/lessons/images/scale-F-circle.png
F Major Scale Image