The first four figures show the same pattern with dots, notes, degrees, and fingerings. In theory, you could learn 3 patterns and cover the entire fretboard. MAJOR SCALES are the building blocks for all of music. C is the dominant. A half step up from E is F. E to F is naturally a half step. Posted by byondssj4justdale on January 29, 2012. Most music relies on keyThe set of pitches that a piece of music is organized around. The notes of a chord can be derived from the major scale. A is the mediant. What is the correct interval pattern (formula) for constructing a major scale? This is arguably the most important scale you can learn. Say the notes as you play them. From F to G is a whole step, 5. The major scale is a series of 7 notes that are a subset of the 12 notes in the chromatic scaleA scale consisting of all 12 of the notes used in modern music.. You will notice that I have included a chord form name. So clear and well-structured. Here is the scale ‘formula’ for the major scale: Major scale formula. It helps you hear the scale. True. Start at a degree and play every other note. For example, you can form a C Major chord by playing C-E-G. Major Scale As a Diatonic Scale . W-H-W-W-H-W 1/2-H (W 1/2 = whole-step and a half). Thank you for an excellent web resource. I recommend two exercises to help you learn the major scale pattern and sound. Pitchwise, a half‐step is exactly 1/12 of an octave, or 1 semitone. Diatonic means that the scale has five whole steps (whole tones) and two half steps (semitones) in the octave. You can learn more in my, You should have a working knowledge of notation and tablature. Minor Pentatonic Scale Connections How to connect the common first pattern of the minor pentatonic scale to parts of the neighboring scale patterns for a wider range of notes to use in the scale. Each step you go up is called a semitone or a half tone. We also learned that a scale can be described as a series of whole and half steps. A major scale is considered a diatonic scale. Thank you for the insight. It is assumed. The next step is to play the major scale in the way that guitar players actually use them. The sequence of intervals between the notes of a major scale is: whole, whole, half, whole, whole, whole, half. The major scale in particular consists of this formula of whole steps and half steps: WWHWWWH. https://www.guitarlessonworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/naturalnoteintervals.mp3, https://www.guitarlessonworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/cmajorscale.mp3, https://www.guitarlessonworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/fmajorscale.mp3, https://www.guitarlessonworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/fmajorscale_sixthstring.mp3, https://www.guitarlessonworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/cmajorscale_upthescale.mp3, https://www.guitarlessonworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/cmajorscale-1.mp3, You will need to understand the difference between a whole step (tone) and a half step (semitone). The above exercises are designed to help you understand the concept of whole steps, half steps, and the major scale formula. Pentatonic 5. The Major Scale can be thought of as - whole step - whole step - half step - whole step - whole step - whole step - half step. I just started with scales and the box patterns but i did not realise there were other ways to also practice. A scale is simply a set of notes arranged in order of pitch. Start from a chord’s root note at that location. Thank you for your kind words. This will help you extend the scales even more. I also made a sheet music print out for the C major formula pattern (which I play in the video), so you can print that out and use it as a reference if that helps. where "whole" stands for a whole tone (a red u-shaped curve in the figure), and "half" stands for a semitone (a red angled line in the figure). Each major scale is related to a major key. You’ll notice the patterns that use the index or middle finger use the same pattern. In the key of F, your root is F. Follow the interval formula for a major scale (W-W-H-W-W-W-H). Practice alternate picking while playing the patterns. So the F Major scale would be spelled as F-G-A-B-C-D-E. Shift the box on the string before or after the root note. Ex: 6-2 Box rooted on the 5th and 17th fret. The notation below shows how you can play the single-octave pattern. This section will explore the third, which is probably the most fun. From C to D is a whole step, 2. Good luck with your playing! C to B is a half step. When we know the "formula" for the scale, we can choose a starting note and generate the rest of the scale by following the jumps indicated by the formula. Thank you! Scales can ascend in pitch or descend in pitch. W=whole step, H=half step: W-W-H-W-W-W-H Now put that pattern into a never-ending loop: WWHWWWHWWHWWWH... Where you start on that loop determines which scale … For example, A# is enharmonically the same as Bb (A# and Bb are the same pitch with different names). Learn them from the root notes of the chords that you know. You will want to spend a lot of time on the major scale. I’m glad you enjoyed the article. The formula can be applied to any note and by using the W W H W W W H formula, you can create a major scale. You can find your single-octave patterns within the box patterns. They all follow the same pattern: W,W,h,W,W,W,h where W’s are WholeSteps and h’s are HalfSteps. Accidentals 4. I’m glad you found the 6-2 pattern helpful. Bb is the subdominant. This stands for whole step, whole step, half step, whole step, whole step, whole step, half step. There are whole steps between A-B, C-D, D-E, F-G, G-A and half steps between B-C, E-F. Accidentals allow for more flexibility with these notes. 6-4 means that you should start with your pinky finger instead. Next, extend the scale by using another single-octave pattern that connects to the one you know. The notes, in order, are C – D – E – F – G – A -B – C – B -A -G -F – E – D – C. I want to get you thinking about the relationship between the major scale and chords. For example, C minor has the same key signature as E flat major, since E flat is a minor third higher than C. You’ll notice that the patterns overlap so you can connect them all. That means: two whole steps, a half step, three whole steps, a half step. AP-013 What are your Favorite Exotic Chords? All Rights Reserved. Use a metronome to play in time properly. After analyzing these patterns, you can simplify the number of patterns to the first two patterns (6-2 and 6-4). Major scale = W-W-H-W-W-W-H (2-2-1-2-2-2-1) Natuaral Minor scale = W-H-W-W-H-W-W (2-1-2-2-1-2-2) Minor pentatonic scale = WH-W-W-WH-W (3-2-2-3-2) Blues scale = WH-W-H-H-WH-W (3-2-1-1-3-2) Blue… Amazing lessons! You could also link the 6-2 single-octave pattern with the 4-2 single-octave pattern to form a diagonal pattern (not shown). Form box patterns by linking the single octave patterns: 6-2 & 4-4, 6-4 & 3-1. You can check yourself (or cheat) with my list of major scale notes. This is useful because you will sometimes want to move up or down the neck with a scale and this exercise helps you learn one way to do that. There are two tetrachords in the major scale, each with the same order half- and whole-steps (W-W-H). Form diagonal patterns by playing 6-2 and 4-2, 5-2 and 3-1. Major Scale Pattern of Steps. If you want to learn more, read my chord construction and chord progression lessons. Therefore, we need to flat the B to make it a half step. *A whole step is two half steps. You will need to know a few things before continuing. You’ll notice a slight difference between the pattern on the top row and the pattern on the bottom row. Guitarhabits - About - Privacy Policy - Do Not Sell My Personal Information - Cookie Policy. Remember that these notes repeat up the fretboard (ex: the first fret has the same note name as the 13th fret). Usually they overlap by 2 frets. This article is incredibly helpful. The 6-2 Box Pattern (below) is a combination of the 6-2 single-octave pattern and the 4-4 single-octave pattern. After you’re playing single-octave patterns,  you’ll want to extend them. Therefore, a tetrachord consisting of W-W-H can be the top tetrachord or the bottom tetrachord of a major scale. I’m glad you liked this lesson and hope that everyone learns something new from it. It takes a while, I’m not going to lie. It is important that you hear the sound of the scale. It has the same W W H W W W H (whole, whole, half, whole, whole, whole, half) pattern. Exercise 2: For every key, play the major scale on each individual string. Thanks alot.. This rule applies to all patterns in standard tuning. Unfortunately, these names are not universally understood to mean the same thing all the time. C to D is a whole step up. Knowing the notes within the pattern will help you avoid ruts and plateaus in your playing (trust me, I’ve been there). Learn the single-octave patterns first. A whole step up from Bb is C. A whole step up from C is D. A whole step up from D is E. A half step up from E is F. E to F is naturally a half step. C Major Scale We can form a major scale using a simple formula: whole, whole, half, whole, whole, whole, half *A half step is the closest key to any key. Practice ascending and descending. Single-octave patterns are the simplest patterns to learn. Minor 2. Thank you for your kind words. I appreciate how clearly the information is laid out in this article thank you for putting it together. Similarly, you can form a D minor chord, by playing D-F-A. We can call this the major scale formula. This is an A major scale pattern. You already learned the major scale in two ways, by notes and intervals. The degrees are given in numbers or roman numerals (as shown). Thank you for the kind words. D is the submediant. Another way to form the scale is to learn/memorize the number of sharps and flats in the key. Thank you for the kind words! G is the supertonic. Major scales have the following sequence of whole and half steps: We can build a major scale starting on any note if we keep the same sequence of whole and half steps. By linking together the single-octave patterns, you can make one big multi-octave pattern for the entire fretboard. Use the major scale on a single string to connect them. The result is a Major Scale no matter what starting note you use. Sing them if you can. Say the notes as you play them. The second is the finger that should play that root note. A natural minor scale is taken from the major scale of the same name, but with the 3rd, 6th, and 7th degrees lowered by one half step. F Major Scale in Open … Since they modify the pitch of a note by a half step, several notes have two names. I use two numbers, the first is the string number of the lowest root note. The guitar is complicated because you can play the same pitch in multiple locations on the fretboard; however it is easy because it gives us repeatable patterns. The major scale is an important scale. A major scale may be seen as two identical tetrachords separated by a whole tone. A whole step is exactly 1/6 of an octave, or 2 semitones. Well constructed article and explained nicely one could understand. For example, the key of C (major) corresponds to the C Major Scale. A key has two components: a tonal center and some sort of scale, or set of pitches used for creating harmony and melody., a choice to use a pattern of seven notes forming a set called the major scale. Follow the interval formula for a major scale (W-W-H-W-W-W-H). Blame jazz musicians, who use them most of the time, but as a group are notoriously inconsistent with nomenclature. The D chord is the ii chord. Melodic Minor 4. If you have questions or feedback, please contact me. How to play formula patterns – printout. Take any one of the twelve notes, for example, take C. Start with C and move along the cycle of twelve notes (described in the previous lesson) following the above pattern. Very helpful. The lesson could not be displayed because JavaScript is disabled. In this case it is a flat. You can play the C Major Scale below in open position. Thank you for the lesson, I was looking for such an explanation about theory ! Key Signature 3. Every major scale is built of two tetrachords separated by a whole step, each of which follows the same pattern of whole steps and half steps internally: W-W-H. Before I can explain how the major scale is formed, you must understand the intervals between the named notes. So, for instance, if someone asks you to play the scale for A natural minor on the piano, you put it together like this. You can use this knowledge to find the chord tones within the scale. Below we build another major scale but this time starting on a D. We say this is the D major scale: The major scale is a diatonic scale, meaning it progresses through the pitches in a two-tone (whole step/half step) pattern and doesn’t skip any note names.. A step is just a measure of distance between between two notes. A half step up from A is Bb. To maintain a half step, we must use accidentals. These notes follow a formula where no note name is repeated. Many thanks. To make it a major scale, we need to fix the intervals with accidentals. This convention is helpful when musicians communicate. A whole step on the guitar is equal to two frets while a half step is equal to one fret. (For in… By Interval: W-W-H-W-W-W-H  (The Major Scale Formula). This simplifies your effort in finding the scale. This is called the root note. I want to show you how to form an F Major scale because it uses an accidental. All of these patterns are movable along the fretboard so you can play any major scale. Start with the root note for the key you are using. The degrees of the scale (roman numerals) are used to specify chord progressions. I provide all five because some are easier to play than others. Play a chord then play the box pattern associated with that chord form. Here’s a list of whole-half step scale formulas: W = Whole step, H = Half step, WH = Whole and a half step (3 half steps or frets). Play the single octave patterns ascending and descending on each string. ... (flat) the third by one half step. Start on C and go up pressing down every single black note and white note. Now you have F-G-A-Bb-C-D-E, the F Major Scale. It is important to keep track of the musical terms you are learning. I’m glad you like it. The pattern for the minor scale starts a half step plus a whole step lower than the major scale pattern, so a relative minor is always three half steps lower than its relative major. Next, you’ll want to explore the box patterns. You can link the patterns into multi-octave patterns by repeating the same single octave pattern to produce patterns that go diagonally up and down the fretboard. Later, I will show you the rules that govern which one to use. Try this with other patterns. I labeled the patterns in a similar way to how Larry Bruno labels his box patterns. For example, play a C Major chord then play a C Major scale. The patterns that use the pinky finger use the same finger. How does it work? Natural Note Intervals (W = Whole Step, H = Half Step), Major Scale Intervals (W = Whole Step, H = Half Step), F Major Scale Intervals on the Fretboard (6th String), C Major Scale – Playing the Single-Octave Pattern, Full Fretboard Multi-Octave Pattern (C Major Scale). W - W - H - W - W - W - H. Using this formula, say we wanted to figure out the C major scale. Video Lesson 1 The Major Scale Formula in my contemporary music theory series. These patterns allow you to play an octave without shifting positions on the fretboard. You can learn more about them in my. Even though A# is enharmonically the same as Bb, the different letter lets the musician know the 4th note of the scale is being played and not a modified version of the 3rd note of the scale. Pay attention to the sound and the steps. From D to E is a whole step, 3. For example, G-A-B-C can be the bottom tetrachord of the G major scale or the top tetrachord of the C major scale. 1. I often recommend playing a Major chord before playing this scale. This section will teach you several major scale patterns. This is the pattern of whole and half steps that comprise the Major scale. You can also play the scale on a string. Look at the notes on a keyboard/piano like the one shown below. Starting with C and moving along the pattern of whole and half steps, you get: C to B is a half step down. AP-012 What are the biggest chord mistakes for beginner guitar players? Starting on any note, if you follow this pattern you will build a major scale in the note's key. The naturally occuring half steps of this mode are between the 3rd & 4th and 7th & 8th scale degrees. Remember to say the notes as you play them. Thanks alot.. Am really grateful.. Major scales are built on a specific pattern of half-step and whole-step intervals. They are named by the first note of the sequence. It also fits nicely under your fingers. Memorize the following list of music terms covered in this lesson. The pattern for a major scale is Whole-step, Whole-step, Half-step, Whole-step, Whole-step, Whole-step, Half-step. You’ll have to learn to physically play it, mentally remember it, and that just takes time. Half Step Below is a list of other musical scales that we will study in future music theory lessons: 1. If you’re descending from 5-2, shift the pattern on the 2nd string (6-4). If you’re starting out, I would learn the 6-2 and 5-2 box patterns and the 3-1 single-octave pattern. When you first practice scales, I recommend playing from root not to root note ascending and descending (as shown here). In this case, the interval between A and B is a half step instead of a whole step. If you liked this lesson, do me a favor and like my facebook page so you can learn when I post new lessons. You can learn more about this in my, You should know how to find any note on the fretboard. A half step up from A is Bb. When indicating a major key, you can omit the word major. The C chord is the I chord. This is one reason why I associate the chords with the box patterns. This is the first site that has really analysed this theory for me.. It is said that the root of music theory can be seen by playing the Major Scale in the Key of C on the Piano (only the white keys from C to C) and every Major Scale has a relative minor Scale as seen when looking at the Circle Of Fifths.Below is how a Minor Scale is built. They can be chained together to form multi-octave patterns, and they allow you to play the scale anywhere on the fretboard. Starting on the 1st scale degree, this mode is the same as a major scale. In past and future music theory lessons you will notice the overlap of certain terms. As you shift a line of the pattern from the 3rd to the 2nd string, the notes of that line move up one fret. I think this is one of the best ways to learn the step-pattern. As we’ve said, whole steps and half steps are the building blocks of scales. There is a formula for forming this scale and any other major scale. Additionally, you can alternate them to obtain box patterns. To make sure you know how to form the scale, I provided a step-by-step. Here it is starting on the note C. 1. Whole Step 5. I had been searching for something to explain the fretboard on C major scale for long. In this section we learned about whole steps and half steps. Also, notice that lower-case numerals indicate minor chords. I want to help you become a better guitarist. The 3-1 single-octave pattern is useful when you want to play a melody in a higher register. Play all 5 box patterns in two locations. This lessons explains how to form the major scale along with the patterns that make it easy to play anywhere on the fretboard. Play the pattern below, then repeat it from frets 13 to the end of your fretboard if you have access to them. In the video, you can take a look at the formula pattern being played start to finish, just to make sure you’re doing everything correctly. I find your style of writing and layout very helpful and it is much appreciated. Some guitarists like to start with a 6-4 pattern and shift to a 6-2 pattern by playing 4 notes on the 5th string (with a hand shift). For example, the Key of F is known to have one flat, Bb. W = Whole Step H = Half Step. Dorian. Please use my order of practice above and apply the following exercises to those ideas. It is actually the Lydian Mode. Learn how to play the major scale along a single string. Learn how to play, form, and use the major scale effectively. Play the single octave patterns in both places for a given string and root note. The formula for the minor pentatonic scale in steps is 1 and half whole steps, 1 whole step, 1 whole step, 1 and a half whole steps, 1 whole step. Soundfly helps curious musicians meet their goals with creative online courses. Exercise 1: Write the notes of all the major scales. To maintain a half step, we must use accidentals. Major Scale Formula: Whole, Whole, Half, Whole, Whole, Whole, Half. 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Learn them from the root notes of a note by a whole,.