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→Root Note Shapes
:''* usually unplayed double notes''
== Root Tonic Note Shapes ==
{|
! Major !! Minor
</pre>
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Here are the potential locations of the root tonic notes for the major or minor scales, with which pattern to use when the root tonic note is located in that placement. Notice for the major tonics, the location of the tonic in terms of the lowest note of the sequence determines which pattern to use. For example, when the lowest note ''is'' the tonic note, you use pattern 1. When the lowest-pitched tonic note doesn't occur until the 4th string, you use pattern 7. For open position C Major, the tonic is located at position 6 in the above pattern. So you'd use pattern 6. For 5th position C Major, the tonic is located at position 3; and we use pattern 3. For G Major, open position is pattern 3 and 5th position is pattern 7. For minor scales, you can use the same logic, but add 2. So when the lowest note ''is'' the tonic note, you use pattern 3 (1 + 2). When the tonic note is the 7th note in the pattern, you use pattern 2 (7 + 2 [-7]). For A Minor, open position is pattern 6 and 5th position is pattern 3. For E Minor, open position is pattern 3 and 5th position is pattern 7. You'll notice C Major and A Minor (as well a G Major and E Minor) use the same patterns for the same positions, which only makes sense as they are relative major/minor's and contain the exact same set of notes. The tonic note patterns above are 2 of the actual scale patterns, but you shouldn't think of them like that. They are simply constructed by mapping all the root notes from the prior pattern. So what if our tonic note occurs in one of the unmarked fret locations above? For example, what if the tonic note was located on 6th string, 4th fret (relative to the shape, not absolute to the fretboard), between the "4" and "5" above? That simply means you are basically in no man's land, between two possible positions that will make sense. If you try to use pattern 5, there are two notes below the tonic, each separated by whole steps. This means the 6th string has a w-w pattern, requiring 5 frets to cover all 3 notes. If you position your tonic as the 4th fret in your pattern box instead of the 5th fret, you cannot reach the note 2 notes below the tonic without shifting position 1 fret. Similarly, if you used pattern 4, you'd notice you can't play the note above the tonic on the 6th string without getting outside the pattern box.
== C Major Layout on Fretboard ==