Major scale guitar fingering. What are scales and what are they for?
Gamma is a sequence of notes that are included in the key of a piece. IN in this case This is a scale that forms the tonality of C major, or A minor - since they are parallel to each other. The notes come one after another in a certain sequence.
This material is necessary for every guitarist, since it is on the basis of scales and their fingerings that solo parts are built, and is also based . Thanks to this knowledge, you will be able to build interesting harmonies and chord progressions, and, if necessary, you will clearly understand what rules to break to make the song sound unusual and interesting.
First of all, because this is the basis of the basics. Having learned the fingerings and all the positions of the basic scale with whole notes, you will understand how it is generally integrated, and by analogy you can find other boxes on your own. In addition, you will take your first steps in improvisation and begin to master the art of coming up with solo parts for the guitar.
Brief instructions on how to play scales correctly
- Deal with it ,and always play only to it. Take an average pace for yourself and gradually increase it.
- In addition, try to do additional exercises also with a metronome - for example, playing syncopations, or triplets, doubles, quartos, and so on.
- Try to memorize the fingerings so you don't have to look at the fingerboard while playing.
- Having learned how to construct a scale, try, without looking at other fingerings, to construct it anywhere on the fingerboard.
C major scale theoretical part
Like any major scale, it is built according to the principle - tone-tone-semitone-tone-tone-tone-semitone. In this case, the sequence of notes is very simple - C D E F G A B C. That is, you just need to play all the full notes on the guitar and you will get the scale.
Stable steps are the notes of the scale, which, when played simultaneously, give the so-called tonic triad - that is, a chord. This is always the first, third and fifth stage - this rule applies to any key, only the notes change. In the case of C major, these are the notes C, E and G.
In addition, there are also unstable steps that can be removed if necessary - which is what happens, for example, in the major and minor pentatonic scale. In addition, they themselves sound tense, and they need to be resolved - that is, change the note to a stable level. IN such notes are always found in second, fourth, sixth and seventh places.
C major scale for beginners 5 positions
As mentioned above, C major is represented by a sequence of notes Do Re Mi Fa Sol La Si, accordingly, in different boxes its fingering will primarily be based on this. Below, in addition to the explanation, will also be presentedtabs in C major, to make it even easier for you to practice playing this scale.
How to play the C major scale
Buy yourself a mechanical one, or use ,and play only to it. This is very important because you will immediately train yourself to play evenly and accurately. In addition, it is very advisable to learn all the positions so that you don’t get lost when improvising and continue to play on any guitar fret. Try to use all your fingers when playing - this will make it much more convenient to perform your parts and not get lost during fast solos.
1 position
The first position rests on the seventh fret. The notes are played sequentially, with numbers indicating the fingers with which to press the frets. The same scheme can be transposed to other keys.
2nd position
We go down three frets - now the tonic is on the tenth. Please note that the scheme has remained virtually unchanged, and in addition, it uses notes from the previous position. This is very important, because by understanding this principle, building scales becomes easier.
3rd position
Now we move on to the first fret. Everything starts from him. This is the most simple circuit in all tonality.
4th position
Moved to the third fret. Notice again that in this diagram, the first notes on each fret are the last notes from the previous box.
5 position
It starts at the fourth fret and ends at the seventh - so you go through full circle, and return to the first position.
Gamma C-sharp major/Gamma D-flat major – 5 positions
In fact, to master these positions, you just need to move all the boxes listed above one fret down the neck.
1 position
The first position starts at the eighth fret. The boxing is exactly the same as in the C major scale, it’s just that everything is transferred to half a tone.
2nd position
The second box begins at the ninth fret, and completely repeats the pattern of the second position from the C major scale.
3rd position
The third position starts on the first fret, and looks a little different than the C major box. The reason is that all open frets are replaced by the first fret being clamped.
4th position
5 position
The last position in which we return to the eighth fret. In this case, everything starts from the sixth.
Exercises for playing the C major scale
Below are some exercises for practicing the C major scale. Along with the detailed description, there are also tabs and audio tracks where you can analyze them in more detail. In addition, all these exercises can be transferred to other keys without any problems.
First exercise
It engages frets seven through ten on all strings except the first and second. You should start with the middle finger, since this is the fingering that will be easier for you to work and play. Everything is played in sixteenth notes, so adjust the tempo carefully.
Second exercise
It engages frets seven through ten in exactly the same way. From the very beginning, you can pluck several notes at once, since they are located on the same string. Everything is performed in exactly the same sixteenth notes.
Third exercise
Similar to the previous exercise, the only difference is that all the strings are involved here, as well as the scale is ascending, not descending. In addition, in some places you will need to use a legato technique to ensure a smooth transition between notes.
Fourth exercise
A more complex exercise that asks you to use the strings not in a row, but through one. This will allow your finger to move better and also give your little finger more exercise.
First of all, it is worth repeating once again that you should practice playing scales exclusively with a metronome. Accustom yourself to it from the very beginning of your lessons, and in the future it will be much easier for you to work on music.
In addition, try to practice regularly and practice all scales and tonalities on your own. Learn theory, because it will be useful to you in composing. The exercises presented above are not the only ones, and you can find many more - for practicing legato, scales, as well as speed and playing technique.
Scales is a sequence of seven consecutive notes that make up a key or a certain mode. The notes within these structures are always combined with each other, and when correct location constitute harmonic intervals or chords, from which music and works are composed. It is this aspect that this article is devoted to. Here you will find a complete explanation of what scales are and how to compose them yourself.
In fact, knowledge of scales is necessary for every musician. They will give the guitarist enormous scope for improvisation and composing both riffs and solo parts. Without them, you will not be able to come up with a beautiful part that will sound as harmonious as possible within the composition, or even build its skeleton. In addition, they will be useful for the arranger who needs to compose parts for different instruments.
Knowing scales, any guitarist will be able to immediately improvise and understand what exactly to play right now. This is useful for group jams that may lead to new songs. Plus, without scales, you won't understand how to build chords and won't be able to add variety to your acoustic compositions.
Full list
This section is made to make it more convenient for you to understand each of the scales. In it you will find links to individual articles dedicated to each of the keys and the boxes within it.
The simple answer to this question is everything. Thus, you will not only memorize the sounds that are included in the key, but also learn .However, it is easiest to start with the C major or A minor scales. The reason is that all the notes included in them are not intermediate. Having learned their location, you can easily find sharp or flat notes that are part of other keys.
Besides, and this will be discussed below, you should pay attention to the so-called guitar boxes - if you learn them, then further development of scales will be much easier than it could be.
As mentioned above, scales will allow you to freely improvise within any of the keys. This is especially convenient if you suddenly get lost on stage while performing a song and cannot find the right part of your solo. Knowing the scales, instead of stalling, you simply start playing something else and return to the desired segment.
In addition, it often happens that the composition changes within the performance. You can emotionally play more squares of a song than necessary, and then it will be much easier for you to fill this space with modulations and solo parts.
There are two types of scales – major and minor. There are twenty-four of them, according to the number of all existing keys, but there is one feature that will make it easier for you to learn them. The fact is that the gamma that is included in major key, is also present in the minor parallel to it, and vice versa. Thus, all you really need to do is remember which keys are parallel to each other and learn twelve scales.
These boxes themselves can be sharp or flat - if there are notes with these signs inside them, respectively. In addition, there is a special subtype - the chromatic scale, in which each note included in the key is raised by a semitone, with the exception of one.
Construction theory
The major scale is built according to the following principle:
Tonic - Tone - tone - semitone - tone - tone - tone - semitone. This is the most standard scheme, from which all musicians start.
The minor scale is built like this:
Tonic - Tone - semitone - tone - tone - semitone - tone - tone.
The chromatic scale is based on this scheme, and raises all notes by half a tone, except for the sixth degree, instead of which the seventh is lowered if we are talking about a major, or with the exception of the first, instead of which the second is lowered if we are talking about a minor. It is worth considering that we add an additional semitone to each note, and do not change it to sharp or flat.
Besides, if in a minor scale you also insert a semitone between the last two tones, you get the so-called harmonic scale. The same applies to major, but if a semitone is inserted between the fifth and sixth degrees. This gives the sound an oriental flavor.
On a guitar, you can play a scale either on one string or on the entire neck. In the first case, you simply move from the first or zero fret to the twelfth, if we are talking about C major or A minor, or from any other until you go through a full octave.
However, it is much easier and more useful to play scales with so-called boxes. Then you will know which string is on which note, and you will be able to improvise much easier and build new scales in the future on your own.
The most important - .You are required to clearly place accents while playing the downbeat in order to better feel the rhythm. More good option will play and record riffs within the key, and then play scales under them. This way, you can freely improvise and learn how to play solo parts, and not just play individual boxes.
Also, try playing scales in doubles, triplets, and other rhythmic patterns. That is, for one beat of the metronome you need to play a note two, three, or more times. This greatly speeds up the hand and teaches you to get used to odd and broken sizes.
Game Features
Everything is much easier on the guitar than on the piano. It's all about the boxes. In fact, having learned at least a couple of pieces, you will already know exactly how to build new scales, and you definitely won’t get lost in music and thinking through parts.
Gamma boxes - what are they?
In fact, boxes- these are stable positions or patterns that form a scale. They include all the strings, not just one, and vary slightly depending on your position on the fretboard. In addition, this also includes classical modes, which originate from Greek music. If you don’t want to go deep into theory and learn how to construct scales, then modes will help you learn them anyway.
Positions of scales on the guitar. How many and what are they?
Scale positions are also divided into major and minor. There are five of them in total, and they move along the fretboard depending on the key in which you play. Therefore, to play comfortably, you just need to learn five C major boxes and move them down the fretboard, based on which key the song is inside.
Examples of guitar scales for beginners
This section includes examples of scales and their fingerings. This was done primarily for beginner guitarists, so that they could look and get used to it - find the necessary boxes on the neck and understand in practice what it is.
Your speed of playing the electric guitar has reached eighty beats per minute. No? Go back to the previous lesson. If so, then go ahead!
What are scales? To simplify very much, a scale can be called a series of sounds located in a strictly defined sequence of semitones, tones, and sometimes large intervals. Scales in the context of fingering thinking are discussed in great detail. In this lesson we will use them as another type of exercise. What are the benefits of scales? Firstly, they contain both external and internal strokes. Secondly, scale boxes cover all six strings. Third, they are usually looped, which makes it possible to play one scale for a long time.
Gamma exists great amount. But we won’t need all of them, since this lesson is aimed at developing speed, not musical thinking. I will give only a few of those that you can use in your songs, leaving behind melodic modes, harmonic minor, major pentatonic scale, blues scale and many others.
But first of all, I would like to talk a little about how to play them and what the fingerings that you see below are. I received a lot of questions on this topic and realized that most beginners have a very poor understanding of what scales are in principle. So, horizontal rulers are strings, as you understand, vertical ones are frets. The circles represent the notes that should be played. Under no circumstances should you mistake the scale for a chord and try to play all the notes at the same time. Start playing from the bottom left corner from left to right (i.e. from the thickest string, from the place where the frets are wider). Then work your way up to the higher strings, ending up playing the scale in the upper right corner. Then you can return to the original note in exactly the opposite sequence. If everything is still not clear, at the end of the lesson you can download Guitar Pro tablature of all scales that you will find here. But remember that these fingerings can be easily moved along the fingerboard and the scale will not change, only its tonality will change. Also, do not forget that all scales must be played with an VARIABLE STROKE. Down-up-down-up! And don’t forget about the other rules discussed in previous lessons!
MINOR PENTATONIC
You are already familiar with the minor pentatonic scale from the previous lesson. Here I will show five boxes of this range in different positions. if you look closely, you will notice that they can be put together like pieces of a mosaic. Ultimately, this is what you should see when looking at the neck of a guitar - the notes included in a specific scale, its tonic on various strings and frets, the versatility of how you can play any passage that can come to your mind. You'll have to work on these boxes... all your life. No more no less. Well, or at least as long as you're going to play guitar.
Never limit yourself to playing in one position. Have you ever seen Zakk Wylde play an entire solo without moving his hand along the fretboard? Me neither:)
DIATONIC MODES
Further more! Below are five boxes of diatonic seven-step scales. First - Mixolydian major, often used by John Petrucci in his progressive themes. Next comes minor scale (Aeolian minor). Among rock and metal solos, she rightfully takes second place. Feel its gloomy, medieval atmosphere.
In the third picture - Locrian mode. If you play it from the second stage, it will turn out Ionian (natural major) major. Do you want to write something uplifting and fun? Perhaps epic or pathetic? Then use it. Try to play according to the rule of one finger - one fret (in the case of natural major boxing this is not difficult). On the fourth box you see Dorian minor- another favorite of old-school rock guitarists. And finally, the fifth box shows Phrygian minor, differing from the usual one by only one step - the second lowered, but what an atmosphere it gives to it! Having played it from this very second stage, we get Lydianmajor. You could hear this scale in the works of Joe Satriani.
Once again I will list the scales and the method of obtaining them based on the natural major scale. So!
1. The Ionian major is built on the first degree of the natural and, accordingly, is identical to it.
2. The Dorian minor is built on the second degree of the natural major.
3. Phrygian minor - at the third degree of natural.
4. Lydian major - on the fourth.
5. Mixolydian major - on the fifth.
6. Aeolian (natural minor) - on the sixth
7. The Locrian mode is built on the seventh degree of natural major.
Here it is, a fingering grid on which you can see all the scales at the same time. The black dot represents the tonic of the Ionian major. Take a closer look and visually find the boxes above.
In the above figure, the four degrees of the Ionian major are labeled - seventh, first, third and fourth. The rest, as you understand, are not at all difficult to find. But this is a topic for a completely different section.
Before this, you played all the exercises in sixteenth notes. Four notes for each metronome beat. But you need to learn to play triplets as well. To do this, we will use scales arranged according to the principle of three notes on a string. The first box is the Phrygian minor box, the next is the Lydian major box, then the Mixolydian box, etc. To calculate speed use it the following formula. The speed you were going to play at divide by three and multiply by four. You'll get the speed for eighth note triplets. Let's say you were going to play at a speed of 60 UVM. 60:3*4=80 UVM - the required speed for playing triplets. Play three notes for each metronome beat.
As you can see, the first box hits the open strings. Just slide it to the right. I have already said that the scale does not change, only the tonic changes. These last scales “three notes per string” are not in the tabs, I’m sure you understand the principle. And if not, take another look at the existing scales, compare the tabs and drawing, analyze. Development is impossible without this. Not a single manual and not a single teacher will teach you how to play if you don’t learn yourself.
Here, perhaps, it’s time to stop. Turn on the metronome, learn one of the variations of a scale and start practicing. I'm waiting for you in the next lesson after you can play ALL scales at a speed of 100 UVM. Good luck!
All scales for guitar with fingering by Andres Segovia
Why play scales on the guitar?
The greatest guitarist of the 20th century, Andres Segovia, unlike many guitarists, did not write a school of guitar playing and published only quick guide"My book for beginners." The guitarist, who raised the guitar to the peak of its popularity, apparently believed that all the works on mastering the art of performing on this instrument had already been published and therefore only supplemented them with the publication of major and minor scales for the guitar. It is not surprising that Segovia paid special attention to scales. For a world-class guitarist like Andres Segovia, this is the basis on which all his technical excellence on the guitar is based. Segovia noted that scales are the best way to achieve technical freedom and sound diversity. He pointed out that scales allow one to solve technical problems for the maximum a short time and at the same time correct the position of the hands and develop independence and flexibility of the fingers. When performing scales, he insistently advised his students to pay attention to the quality of the sound produced, achieving a dense and even sound. Segovia said that an hour of working on scales gives greater superiority than playing exercises for many hours. So it remains to summarize what was said above:
1. Playing scales will give you a complete understanding of the location of notes on the fretboard and will help you remember them.
2. When playing scales, you will develop synchronicity between your right and left hands.
3. Scales will help develop accuracy when changing positions of the left hand and will give a correct idea of fingering.
4. Develops independence, strength and dexterity in the fingers of both hands.
5. Makes you think about saving finger movements and correct hand placement to achieve fluency.
6. Helps in development musical ear and sense of rhythm, as well as the fastest possible achievement of technical freedom in performance.
Fingering and positions
For those who have no idea about musical notation Here are tabs of two scales, but despite the fact that there are tablatures, the fingering of the fingers of the left hand will still have to be looked at in the notes, since the tabs show only the frets on which the strings are pressed. Now let's find out what fingering is. Fingering is the most convenient choice of fingers when playing the guitar. Correct fingering is optimal good choice in which transitions from position to position are easily and smoothly made, allowing the hand and fingers to move naturally without any unnecessary (interfering) movements. The position is the position of the hand on the neck of the guitar. It is customary to calculate the position number by position on the fingerboard index finger. Probably the brightest and clear example The barre technique on the guitar can be used. If we play an Fm barre chord on the first fret, then this is considered the first position, a Gm chord on the third fret is considered the third position.
How to play scales on guitar
The ability to play scales correctly greatly increases the pace of mastering the technical side of the instrument. You should not think that you can increase technical perfection by performing these hills of notes at the maximum tempo. The formula “I play fast - I’m super” does not apply here. I specifically gave my students complete freedom in performing scales, after which I asked them to play in certain meters, that is, exactly as these passages would appear in music. Some of them, when performed in a certain time signature, even began to forget the sequence of notes. This suggests that scales should be played in 2/4, 3/4, 4/4, and also in triplets. When playing scales in different sizes you will have to place certain emphasis on the strong beats of the bar, which gives the passages performed evenness. To achieve evenness, many guitarists play scales like this: an eighth with a dot, a sixteenth, and then vice versa, a sixteenth eighth with a dot, after which they play evenly.
More detailed description performance of scales in the section where finger movements are described in more detail using the example of performing the C major scale.
Hello dear readers blog. Scales are performed on musical instrument for two main reasons. The first and most obvious is to develop technique, sharpen the coordinated actions of both hands, increase the speed of play and maintain a constant volume and volume.
Another reason for playing scales is practical application. This can be compared to using for understanding.
Major scale
And each key contains all the notes used in that key.
These scales should be practiced both , and , first with fingers m and i, and then with fingers i and m. In addition, these scales should also be played with fingers a and i, and then i and a.
Harmonic minor scale
The C minor harmonic scale moves to the sixth position (VI) on the fourth count of the first measure for ease of playing it with the indicated fingers. Although we haven't covered this position, the pins and string numbers provided make it fairly clear. The only unusual note in this position is A# (A flat) on the ninth fret.
In the second measure, Bb (B flat) rises a semitone to B (B) in accordance with the harmonic requirement that the seventh note be a semitone below the tonic. IN minor keys this is done with the help of an auxiliary sign, since their signs at the key are similar to the signs of the corresponding major key.
Melodic minor scale
The melodic minor scale, as its name suggests, is used primarily for the melodic (or linear) aspect of music. main reason is that its intervals are easier to perform than the same intervals of the harmonic minor scale.
In the scale presented, there is a smooth movement up and down with a major, while in the harmonic minor scale there is a minor third between the sixth and seventh degrees.
To avoid this minor third jump in a melodic minor scale, the upward movement uses different notes than the downward movement.
Scales in two octaves
We now move on to scales that span two octaves. Below are the G major, G minor harmonic and G minor melodic scales. These slightly longer scales will require you to take a little more time to study them thoroughly, but your efforts will not be in vain, as their pattern can be carried up the fingerboard to play scales in different keys. So, by moving the G major scale up to the fourth position (IV), you get the A major scale.
Chromatic scales
The chromatic scale, which does not belong to any particular key, uses every semitone of the octave. Its name comes from the Greek word "chroma", which means "color", and it means that since every note is involved in the scale, it takes on a brighter and more colorful sound than those scales that are tied to a specific key.
