Scales for all Positions

So we've looked at a few different scales in open and 5th position. Now let's put on our big boy shoes and learn how to play in any position.

PreReqs

• C Major in Open Position and Alternate Picking
• 5th Position

Scale Maps

The Major and Natural Minor Scales can easily be reduced to 7 different shapes, that correspond to the player's position on the fretboard. The 7 positions are based on the position of the tonic note.

Major Scale Roots

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
Root Notes	|x|-|-|-|-| |-|-|-|-|-| |-|-|-|-|-| |-|-|x|-|-| |-|-|-|-|-| |x|-|-|-|-|	|-|x|-|-| |-|-|-|-| |-|-|-|-| |-|-|-|x| |-|-|-|-| |-|x|-|-|	|-|-|-|x|-| |-|-|-|-|-| |x|-|-|-|-| |-|-|-|-|-| |-|-|-|-|-| |-|-|-|x|-|	|-|-|-|-|-| |-|-|-|-|-| |-|-|x|-|-| |-|-|-|-|-| |x|-|-|-|-| |-|-|-|-|-|	|-|-|-|-|-| |x|-|-|-|-| |-|-|-|-|x| |-|-|-|-|-| |-|-|x|-|-| |-|-|-|-|-|	|-|-|-|-| |-|x|-|-| |-|-|-|-| |-|-|-|-| |-|-|-|x| |-|-|-|-|	|-|-|-|-|-| |-|-|-|x|-| |-|-|-|-|-| |x|-|-|-|-| |-|-|-|-|-| |-|-|-|-|-|
All Notes for Pos.	|x|-|o|-|o| |*|-|o|-|o| |-|o|o|-|o| |-|o|x|-|o| |o|-|o|-|o| |x|-|o|-|o|	|o|x|-|o| |-|o|-|o| |o|-|o|o| |o|-|o|x| |o|o|-|o| |o|x|-|o|	|o|-|o|x|-| |o|o|-|o|-| |x|-|o|-|*| |o|-|o|-|o| |o|-|o|o|-| |o|-|o|x|-|	|o|-|o|-|o| |*|-|o|o|-| |-|o|x|-|o| |o|-|o|-|o| |x|-|o|-|o| |o|-|o|-|o|	|o|-|o|-|o| |x|-|o|-|o| |-|o|-|o|*| |-|o|o|-|o| |-|o|x|-|o| |o|-|o|-|o|	|o|o|-|o| |o|x|-|o| |o|-|o|-| |o|-|o|o| |o|-|o|x| |o|o|-|o|	|o|-|o|o|-| |o|-|o|x|-| |o|-|o|-|*| |x|-|o|-|o| |o|-|o|-|o| |o|-|o|o|-|
Fingering for Pos.	|i|-|m|-|p| |*|-|m|-|p| |-|i|m|-|p| |-|i|m|-|p| |i|-|m|-|p| |i|-|m|-|p|	|i|m|-|p| |-|m|-|p| |i|-|r|p| |i|-|r|p| |i|m|-|p| |i|m|-|p|	|i|-|r|p|-| |i|m|-|p|-| |i|-|r|-|*| |i|-|r|-|p| |i|-|r|p|-| |i|-|r|p|-|	|i|-|m|-|p| |*|-|m|r|-| |-|i|m|-|p| |i|-|m|-|p| |i|-|m|-|p| |i|-|m|-|p|	|i|-|m|-|p| |i|-|m|-|p| |-|i|-|r|*| |-|i|m|-|p| |-|i|m|-|p| |i|-|m|-|p|	|i|m|-|p| |i|m|-|p| |i|-|r|-| |i|-|r|p| |i|-|r|p| |i|m|-|p|	|i|-|r|p|-| |i|-|r|p|-| |i|-|r|-|*| |i|-|m|-|p| |i|-|m|-|p| |i|-|r|p|-|
Whole/Half Patterns	w-w w h-w h-w w-w w-w	h-w w w-h w-h h-w h-w	w-h h-w w w-w w-h w-h	w-w h h-w w-w w-w w-w	w-w w-w w h-w h-w w-w	h-w h-w w w-h w-h h-w	w-h w-h w w-w w-w w-h

* usually unplayed double notes

C Major Layout on Fretboard

      |o|o|-|o|-|o|-|o|x|-|o|-|o|o|-|o|-|o|-|o|x|-|o|-|o|
      |o|x|-|o|-|o|o|-|o|-|o|-|o|x|-|o|-|o|o|-|o|-|o|-|o|
      |o|-|o|-|o|x|-|o|-|o|o|-|o|-|o|-|o|x|-|o|-|o|o|-|o|
      |o|-|o|o|-|o|-|o|-|o|x|-|o|-|o|o|-|o|-|o|-|o|x|-|o|
      |o|-|o|x|-|o|-|o|o|-|o|-|o|-|o|x|-|o|-|o|o|-|o|-|o|
      |o|o|-|o|-|o|-|o|x|-|o|-|o|o|-|o|-|o|-|o|x|-|o|-|o|

Fret # 0 3 5 7 9 12 15 17 19 21 24

Scale  6------   3-------- 7-------- 4-------- 1--------
Map          4-------- 1-------- 5--------   2------
#        5--------   2------   6------   3--------