Hey Friend,
Thanks for letting me take a mental day yesterday. Let’s get back to the major scale...
To review, here are the names of each possible interval:
Tonic - we call this the root note most of the time; it’s the first note of the scale. In the key of C major, this note would be C.
Minor Second - this is one half step (semitone) above the tonic.
Major Second - this is one whole step (tone) above the tonic. In the key of C major, this note would be D.
Minor Third - three half-steps above the tonic.
Major Third - two hole steps above the tonic. In the key of C major, this note would be E.
Perfect Fourth - five half-steps above the tonic. In the key of C major, this note would be F.
Tritone - three whole steps above the tonic.
Perfect Fifth - seven half-steps above the tonic. In the key of C major, this note would be G.
Minor Sixth - four whole steps above the tonic.
Major Sixth - nine half-steps above the tonic. In the key of C major, this note would be A.
Minor Seventh - five whole steps above the tonic.
Major Seventh - eleven half-steps above the tonic. In the key of C major, this note would be B.
Perfect Octave - six whole steps above the tonic. In the key of C major, this note would be C.
Each of these intervals corresponds to a location, or position, on the fingerboard, regardless of where the tonic (root note) is.
It’s easiest to see the positions when looking at only one string. For example, take the low E string (sixth string). This is the fat one with the lowest pitch. We can move up the guitar neck one fret at a time to play the chromatic scale, as well as the major scale.
If E is your starting place, it is the tonic. Since the note is played without placing a finger on the fingerboard, this particular E is also known as an open note.
If you press your finger on the first fret on the sixth string, this interval is a half step. Slide the finger up one fret to the second fret and this is now a whole step. Continue up the neck one fret at a time and when you reach the twelfth fret, you will have completed the E chromatic scale.
The notes line up on the frets like this:
Frets: O 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
Notes: E F F# G G# A A# B C C# D D# (E)
(that first fret marking is an O, for Open)
If you want to play an E Major scale on the sixth string, just follow the major scale pattern:
W W H W W W H
The first interval in a major scale is a whole step, so E to F# (fret O to 2). The second interval is a whole step, so F# to G# (2 to 4). The third interval is a half step, so G# to A (fret 4 to 5). Continue on up the neck following the pattern until you reach the twelfth fret. That returns you to the E note (the perfect octave).
The E major scale is E F# G# A B C# D# (E). You would play the open E string, the frets O, 2, 4, 5, 7, 9, 11 and 12.
Most guitars have fret markers on the fingerboard. Those are the dots on specific frets of the neck. Usually, markers are at the third, fifth, seventh, ninth and twelfth frets. These will help you keep track of where you are, and they’re a good aid to helping you memorize the location of notes.
As long as you have your guitar tuned to standard (unless you get into a lot of alternate tunings), you can count on certain notes lining up on specific frets of the fingerboard.
Make senses so far?
Alright, talk to you tomorrow. Have a great one!
Peace~
Dave
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