Major Scales

This is just like the last thing I posted for blues scales but this time it's major scales. I know that this will have mixed feedback and I've heard it all before but feel free to tell me any more problems you have with it. Before you leave stupid posts though, I would suggest that you copy everything and paste it into MicroSoft Word, then change the font to Corrier New and change the size to about 9.

Major scales:

A major
E0|--|2-|--|4-|5-|--|7-|--|9-|10|--|12|--|14|--|16|17|--|19|--|21|22|--|24|
B0|--|2-|3-|--|5-|--|7-|--|9-|10|--|12|--|14|15|--|17|--|19|--|21|22|--|24|
G-|1-|2-|--|4-|--|6-|7-|--|9-|--|11|--|13|14|--|16|--|18|19|--|21|--|23|--|
D0|--|2-|--|4-|--|6-|7-|--|9-|--|11|12|--|14|--|16|--|18|19|--|21|--|23|24|
A0|--|2-|--|4-|5-|--|7-|--|9-|--|11|12|--|14|--|16|17|--|19|--|21|--|23|24|
E0|--|2-|--|4-|5-|--|7-|--|9-|10|--|12|--|14|--|16|17|--|19|--|21|22|--|24|

B major
E0|--|2-|--|4-|--|6-|7-|--|9-|--|11|12|--|14|--|16|--|18|19|--|21|--|23|24|
B0|--|2-|--|4-|5-|--|7-|--|9-|--|11|12|--|14|--|16|17|--|19|--|21|--|23|24|
G-|1-|--|3-|4-|--|6-|--|8-|9-|--|11|--|13|--|15|16|--|18|--|20|21|--|23|--|
D-|1-|2-|--|4-|--|6-|--|8-|9-|--|11|--|13|14|--|16|--|18|--|20|21|--|23|--|
A-|1-|2-|--|4-|--|6-|7-|--|9-|--|11|--|13|14|--|16|--|18|19|--|21|--|23|--|
E0|--|2-|--|4-|--|6-|7-|--|9-|--|11|12|--|14|--|16|--|18|19|--|21|--|23|24|

C major
E0|1-|--|3-|--|5-|--|7-|8-|--|10|--|12|13|--|15|--|17|--|19|20|--|22|--|24|
B0|1-|--|3-|--|5-|6-|--|8-|--|10|--|12|13|--|15|--|17|18|--|20|--|22|--|24|
G0|--|2-|--|4-|5-|--|7-|--|9-|10|--|12|--|14|--|16|17|--|19|--|21|22|--|24|
D0|--|2-|3-|--|5-|--|7-|--|9-|10|--|12|--|14|15|--|17|--|19|--|21|22|--|24|
A0|--|2-|3-|--|5-|--|7-|8-|--|10|--|12|--|14|15|--|17|--|19|20|--|22|--|24|
E0|1-|--|3-|--|5-|--|7-|8-|--|10|--|12|13|--|15|--|17|--|19|20|--|22|--|24|

D major
E0|--|2-|3-|--|5-|--|7-|--|9-|10|--|12|--|14|15|--|17|--|19|--|21|22|--|24|
B0|--|2-|3-|--|5-|--|7-|8-|--|10|--|12|--|14|15|--|17|--|19|20|--|22|--|24|
G0|--|2-|--|4-|--|6-|7-|--|9-|--|11|12|--|14|--|16|--|18|19|--|21|--|23|24|
D0|--|2-|--|4-|5-|--|7-|--|9-|--|11|12|--|14|--|16|17|--|19|--|21|--|23|24|
A0|--|2-|--|4-|5-|--|7-|--|9-|10|--|12|--|14|--|16|17|--|19|--|21|22|--|24|
E0|--|2-|3-|--|5-|--|7-|--|9-|10|--|12|--|14|15|--|17|--|19|--|21|22|--|24|

E major
E0|--|2-|--|4-|5-|--|7-|--|9-|--|11|12|--|14|--|16|17|--|19|--|21|--|23|24|
B0|--|2-|--|4-|5-|--|7-|--|9-|10|--|12|--|14|--|16|17|--|19|--|21|22|--|24|
G-|1-|2-|--|4-|--|6-|--|8-|9-|--|11|--|13|14|--|16|--|18|--|20|21|--|23|--|
D-|1-|2-|--|4-|--|6-|7-|--|9-|--|11|--|13|14|--|16|--|18|19|--|21|--|23|--|
A0|--|2-|--|4-|--|6-|7-|--|9-|--|11|12|--|14|--|16|--|18|19|--|21|--|23|24|
E0|--|2-|--|4-|5-|--|7-|--|9-|--|11|12|--|14|--|16|17|--|19|--|21|--|23|24|

F major
E0|1-|--|3-|--|5-|6-|--|8-|--|10|--|12|13|--|15|--|17|18|--|20|--|22|--|24|
B-|1-|--|3-|--|5-|6-|--|8-|--|10|11|--|13|--|15|--|17|18|--|20|--|22|23|--|
G0|--|2-|3-|--|5-|--|7-|--|9-|10|--|12|--|14|15|--|17|--|19|--|21|22|--|24|
D0|--|2-|3-|--|5-|--|7-|8-|--|10|--|12|--|14|15|--|17|--|19|20|--|22|--|24|
A0|1-|--|3-|--|5-|--|7-|8-|--|10|--|12|13|--|15|--|17|--|19|20|--|22|--|24|
E0|1-|--|3-|--|5-|6-|--|8-|--|10|--|12|13|--|15|--|17|18|--|20|--|22|--|24|

G major
E0|--|2-|3-|--|5-|--|7-|8-|--|10|--|12|--|14|15|--|17|--|19|20|--|22|--|24|
B0|1-|--|3-|--|5-|--|7-|8-|--|10|--|12|13|--|15|--|17|--|19|20|--|22|--|24|
G0|--|2-|--|4-|5-|--|7-|--|9-|--|11|12|--|14|--|16|17|--|19|--|21|--|23|24|
D0|--|2-|--|4-|5-|--|7-|--|9-|10|--|12|--|14|--|16|17|--|19|--|21|22|--|24|
A0|--|2-|3-|--|5-|--|7-|--|9-|10|--|12|--|14|15|--|17|--|19|--|21|22|--|24|
E0|--|2-|3-|--|5-|--|7-|8-|--|10|--|12|--|14|15|--|17|--|19|20|--|22|--|24|

You can use these to solo or come up with riffs in any key in the major scale. Enjoy!

Comments

[folk_rocknroll]

very helpful, keep it up, maybe do one on pentatonics and modes

[imthaman]

i did your last one and it's great. If I were to have found this a long time ago I would have been better off. As he said put it in word and it will work wonderfully.

[Buckan]

Are there any obvious similarities between these scales im not seeing? Should i learn a pattern och just move it over the fret borad or should i memorize every single tab you just wrote in this lesson?

^ Yes, each major scale follows the same pattern of intervals.

No Bb, Eb, Ab, Db, Gb scales? 1 star!

You failed to explain the scale, you just gave patterns, which is not a good way to teach IMO.

[galapogo]

^ Agreed, its hard to grasp Major scales from this, useful for soloing tho sort-of, cheers.

[frozen-dirt]

very helpful. do one for pentatonic scales too.

[nihilus]

to respond to silentdeftone, i never said in the description that i would explain the scale. if you thought i would then that's your problem. i'm not here to explain things, i gave the pattern. this is a lesson to help, not to teach. i taught myself about how these patterns work and i think other people should aswell.

[jimmy k]

i agree with frozen-dirt. It was great help. u should do one for pentatonic i'm not very good at them!

to respond to silentdeftone, i never said in the description that i would explain the scale. if you thought i would then that's your problem. i'm not here to explain things, i gave the pattern. this is a lesson to help, not to teach. i taught myself about how these patterns work and i think other people should aswell.

In that case, you're STILL missing 5 of the 12 major scales?

-SD

[Nukes4U]

He never said he had all of them, although it could be interpretted that way. This is great for me, im a guitar n00b, and i totally agree with nihilus. Explaining the scales would narrow the view of the writer, and we'd all sound the same. (or more alike than would be desired.)

[guitarsolo91]

Helped a lot. I'm already a decent solo player, but these major scales really helped me write more riffs than anything. Thanks.

[kuddkrig]

Vey helpful. I hate people who just post the scale in one key. If you want to solo you need to learn the all the notes.

He never said he had all of them, although it could be interpretted that way.

You can use these to solo or come up with riffs in any key in the major scale.

[sigit_prabowo]

how to read?!!???!!! somebody please tell me!!!.. mail me at [e-mail]

[Mace_37]

the scale is just a 'major' scale, right? and that scale is moveable to any position? the position it is in is the key it is in so the scale can be in all notes, #, and b. right?

[Matt_M_2002]

SD, you can well and truely say you've put nihilus in his place!
I didn't particularly like this lesson- it didnt teach me anything, its 'just another tab'. we want WORDS & explanations!
To learn something is easy - anyone can learn. Monkeys can learn.
To understand is difficult and reserved for us humans.

[hendrix999666]

i dont understand somebody help me

[Philosopher1989]

it would be better if you explained how you would come up with a major scale (the wholenote/half note formula)

[demez]

THANK YOU

[callumrc]

How on earth do yuo read these scales
..help me
..email at [e-mail]

[reckless_life]

crap layout and same as Philsopher1989 said

[A1D3N-T4B]

ahhh.. stop going so high, my guitar only has 21 frets, and really i can only use 14 of them lol. ohwell i guess wome poeple have got guitars that will.??

[Zevil]

I don't know how to use this.

[dreamz91]

Can anyone explain what are the 0 letters mean besides the EADGBE on the fretboard?

[nihilus]

Matt_M i never sed this lesson was made up of words or explanations and monkeys can learn and that makes them cleverer than u u worthless piece of crap. i hope your guitar strings snap and chop out ur eyes until u bleed to death. enjoy this 'just another tab' u lowlife scum and thank u for the constructive criticism

[BadMoFo]

This is not a lesson, its just a map of all the positions of notes on the fretboard for major scales. I can undrestand how noobs are disappointed by coming here and expecting to learn something, because if you don't know basic scale theory then all those numbers mean nothing. So noobs, don't give up if you don't understand it, just look for a better lesson, they are out there. This would probably be more useful (to those who have some basic scale thoery) if instead of numbers you mapped out the notes by their letter name.

[Fleabass5]

A lesson that Describes exactly how to use it would be nice. It is very hard to understand.

[czGLoRy]

yeah i have absolutely no clue what to do with this.

[damonkinmond]

same im sure its great but i dont understand it
can u help me?

[MATTTHEMOP]

wot is there to not understand? the places on the diagrams where there are numbers is where u fret to get a particular note.

[connorguitarboy]

rubbish lesson didnt tell about scales

[peepee182]

its so stupid, its supose to be a lesson not just poopy scales, you should have at least said more stuff about them

[watchurback]

not bad to for writing riffs, but not a great wealth of knowledge either. Good Effort at least you took the time to write an article

[Noah N]

Is there a lesson to learn to read that? It makes no sense to me. I can read tabs though. Link me please.

[JarOfFlies]

Only criticism is instead of using number, replace for the notes in the scale.

[FSAR-acoustic]

"Matt_M i never sed this lesson was made up of words or explanations and monkeys can learn and that makes them cleverer than u u worthless piece of crap. i hope your guitar strings snap and chop out ur eyes until u bleed to death. enjoy this 'just another tab' u lowlife scum and thank u for the constructive criticism"

Wasn't that was a little harsh reply to a fair and just comment? I'm attempting to learn basic scale theory. This is worthless to me. "Lessons" are just that; they require an explanation by definition.

This is ok if all you're looking for are a few scales themselves. You did take the time to write it, so kudos for that. However, how about next time actually explaining what you've posted?

[benwahballs]

thank you to Silent Deftone. I was getting confused because from looking at this i was left to believe that the major scales are only A B C D E F G. and i was trying to figure out what major scale is relative to G minor but i tried it out and the major scale that was relative to G minor was a flat. then silent deftone cleared it up by saying that hes missing the flat major scales here. and then i put the puzzle back together.
SEX WITH ANIMALS IS NORMAL. (i mean it)

[blue_lines]

i think it would be better if a single diagram was shown and then tell people to move that depending on the scale,only involving twelwe frets...cause it's the same thing....
this is crap

[flipfox_redoubt]

piece of cake ;p

[zx7r]

its easy enough, nice lesson

Jack Black + King Kong = Great Film

[d_man2k]

The diagrams are a bit confusing for beginners, seperate diagrams would have been much better.

[rockergurl09]

pretty good, just a bit cluttered and maybe explain it a bit more for the noobs.

[rideadapt]

Does anyone know where I could find diagrams similar to this one but for other scales and modes?

[guns'n'roses]

thank you!

[guns'n'roses]

helped alot. thanks !

[axe o power]

great and thanks however you shoul seperated them and boxed

[Gitar crazy]

yer can u please spetarate them a boxy them easyer to read

[Gitar crazy]

yes separate them

[maiden8594]

great...but what EVEYONE has said it is too cluddered bro...try seperating them and making them more neat then repost...

[overloadreality]

its really helpful, thanks a lot!

[xacks_03]

umm i dont understand it.. wahat is this scalee???

[MATTTHEMOP]

^its the major scale. the most commonly used scale in western music.

[Madani]

helped alot

How to understand whats written there is very simple

jus play the number of the fret

try to do any rythem in C major as an example

like play

A minor chord then D minor and record that chords or let any friend play it as a rythem

then play solo

when u going to play the solo u must het the c major frets and i think nihilus wrote the scale of the C major

thats it

[KFACTOR]

I AM A VIOLIN PLAYER TURNING IN TO A GUITAR PLAYER IS THERE ANY WAY THAT YOU COULD PUT THIS ON AN ACTUAL TREBLE SCALE? THE TAB IS COOL AND THE FRET GUIDE IS GREAT BUT I AM USE TO SEEING MUSIC ON 5 LINES AND 4 SPACE KIND OF THING. I HAVE A HARD TIME GRASPING THE CONCEPT WITH OUT SEEING THE ACTUAL NOTES CLIMBING UP A MUSICAL SCALE. STILL STRUGGLING WITH THE TWO EXTRA STRINGS AND NOT ALL THE STRINGS ARE THE SAME AMOUNT OF NOTES APART BUT I AM SLOWLY GETTING IT.

[Johnny Freak]

good stuff! I can divide it myself and practice it! People, ya shouldn't give bad votin to a guy who just didn't divide the scale into boxes and stuff... ya should be happy that you can do it on yo' own and learn things better...!!

[Arbor77]

Um... I would really like to know how I can use these patterns to make scales and to solo with them...

I.E. Do I take the patterns at at (the usual) fifth note and go down another string, or do I just take the precise numbers from the patterns shown and use them exactly...?

Example:
A major
E0|--|2-|--|4-|5-|
B0|--|2-|3-|--|5-|
G-|1-|2-|--|4-|--|
D0|--|2-|--|4-|--|
A0|--|2-|--|4-|5-|
E0|--|2-|--|4-|5-|

Would I take that exactly, or would I use the "0|2|4|5|7|9|10|12" and run it down the fret board between the notes to make a three note per string scale of my own?

[SiKNeS]

no just as they are,if you use ur head u can split it into "box" patterns urself.the rule is if you can play it easily(reach the notes) then that is ok.it does help to learn the notes of the scale also.eg.c major = CDEFGABC(THE 8TH NOTE BEING THE OCTAVE=HIGHER PITCH VERSION OF THE ROOT NOTE=C)then make a mental map of things like the root note,the 3rd note,the fith note.this would be a good place to start methinks.

[nirvana001]

It would be better if you included the root notes

[bama]

i'll try to explain as well as i can. if the key to the scale is the first note of one of the open strings then start their and work your way up 8 steps by following the tab chart. if not then find the open string that is closest to that note and work your way up until you fin that note and start from there each fret goes up by a half step so if you were in base string E the first fret would be F the next would be F#. the only intervals that dont have sharps and flats are from E to F and B to C. and A# is the same as Bb, as goes with all other half steps.

[guitardude1039]

wow theres a lot of bitchin'. lol anyway thx dude it really helped me out! i was REALLY lookin for this.

[guitardude1039]

bama wrote:

i'll try to explain as well as i can. if the key to the scale is the first note of one of the open strings then start their and work your way up 8 steps by following the tab chart. if not then find the open string that is closest to that note and work your way up until you fin that note and start from there each fret goes up by a half step so if you were in base string E the first fret would be F the next would be F#. the only intervals that dont have sharps and flats are from E to F and B to C. and A# is the same as Bb, as goes with all other half steps.

and to help remember "E to F and B to C". just remember it like "B"ill "C"aught "E"very "F"ish..
cheezy but it'll help.

[Guitar~Goddess]

i think its a pretty damn good lesson if you dont really care about the scale theory. I've been playing guitar for 4 years, and i have not a clue what note I'm playing, I just know it sounds right if you play it in a certain scale. Good job my friend, you taught people who are willing to learn well.

[sanjeev george]

please tell me how to interpret this-sanjeevgeorge123@yah
oo.co.in

[Oasis-fanatic]

10/10 this has helped me so much. thsnk you

[GLP_Arclite]

stop complaining all you pple who are saying it aint good to teach, it aint a learning tool its a usefulset of scales put together nicely, i give it ten

[dryh2o_podz11]

wooooo is this a different version of MAJOR scale i have my scale tool but itz not D'same. my mejor scale came from do re mi fa so la ti do em i wrong or right uhhh im confuse....(nose bleed)

[Trey Spruance]

Yeah this is great actually. People like me learn scales by just going over them again and again and again.

Just a matter of learning all the notes for me now.

[Dunjma]

root notes anyone? i understand it ( i think ) but how do i tell which are the root notes? just by what scale it is? eg. A major roots are all A notes?

[dimebagsmygod]

This is helpful but it would me more useful if you showed the different shape patterns.

[PCboy]

thanks. just what i need.

[dcookie87]

this lesson is not meant to explain how the scale shapes r formed... its just a reference... but i think this should be deleted beause the scales r wrong anyway... this would be very confusin for a noob trying to learn scales... for scale refrences (not how to form the scales) go to www.theguitarfiles.com/scale.php... i hope i can link that... sorry if i cant...

[AmyRayFan]

I DON"T GET IT!!!!!

[sum_ugly_man]

helps really a lot..now i just gotta remember em...impossible...XD

[Megadeth77]

Its Great but it would be nice to see forms/blueprints. Thnx!!

[Megadeth77]

I like it, but it would be nice to have the forms/blueprints so I know what im playin.

[nickbalura]

yea i love this tab there all good the major and minor scales i think u should do lots of other scales because that would be wicked

[Erikthegrim]

Can some one write a lesson on how to use scales to write songs, thanks.

[webbster87]

good lesson and scale!

Erikthegrim wrote:

Can some one write a lesson on how to use scales to write songs, thanks.

Yo if you don't get it than your a dumbass! It shows the whole major scale so that you don't have to look at tabs of the major scale! So it simple to use!

[misfitunknown]

do you know an easy way to change it into a minor.i think it if you change the 3rd to a flat but im not sure.

[sidereal9]

i have entire books dedicated to scales,,i have released cd's that were well received for the musical prowess,yet i have no clue how to understand scales as they relate to chords.I understand than it any key each scale tone has a related chord 7th minor etc but i would like to see a lesson that takes one scale say the major and show exactly how to compose a rhythm based off that scale and how to improvise over it using the modes of that scale.

[D4rk R1der]

I was trying to look at the blues scales.. thinking i would be able to read it.. and i couldnt understand it..

i CAN play major scales...
but i CANT read it like this...
can anyone help?

sorry i n00bed this one =[

[lp in dc]

This lesson is BULLSHIT!!!!!

P.S anybody can email me at

[Metallica rulz]

exactly what I was looking for thank you.

[InLimbo11]

Bl**dy good no matter what people say, good for reference is not meant to be a lesson, get some proper lessons if you want to know music theory, i.e from a person...

[oasis247]

Thank you, very helpful. F**k all these people telling you what you should have done with this lesson. Maybe they can write their own lessons instead of complaining about yours?

[learninclutch]

My question is, which note determines the key.ex.
Why makes it C major?

[godofrock95]

i really find these helpful since im a kind of andvanced guitarist