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Scales for all Positions

Revision as of 09:54, 27 May 2014 by Meambobbo (talk | contribs) (→‎G Major Layout on Fretboard)

Revision as of 09:54, 27 May 2014 by Meambobbo (talk | contribs) (→‎G Major Layout on Fretboard)

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.

Contents

PreReqs

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.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Root Notes
Major = M
Minor = m 
 |M|-|-|-|-|
 |-|-|m|-|-|
 |-|-|-|-|-|
 |-|-|M|-|-|
 |-|-|-|-|m|
 |M|-|-|-|-|

 |-|M|-|-|
 |-|-|-|m|
 |-|-|-|-|
 |m|-|-|M|
 |-|-|-|-|
 |-|M|-|-|

 |m|-|-|M|-|
 |-|-|-|-|-|
 |M|-|-|-|-|
 |-|-|m|-|-|
 |-|-|-|-|-|
 |m|-|-|M|-|

 |-|-|m|-|-|
 |-|-|-|-|-|
 |-|-|M|-|-|
 |-|-|-|-|m|
 |M|-|-|-|-|
 |-|-|m|-|-|

 |-|-|-|-|m|
 |M|-|-|-|-|
 |-|m|-|-|M|
 |-|-|-|-|-|
 |-|-|M|-|-|
 |-|-|-|-|m|

 |-|-|-|-|
 |-|M|-|-|
 |-|-|m|-|
 |-|-|-|-|
 |m|-|-|M|
 |-|-|-|-|

 |-|-|-|-|-|
 |m|-|-|M|-|
 |-|-|-|-|m|
 |M|-|-|-|-|
 |-|-|m|-|-|
 |-|-|-|-|-|
All Notes
for Pos. 
 |M|-|o|-|o|
 |o|-|m|-|o|
 |-|o|o|-|o|
 |-|o|M|-|o|
 |o|-|o|-|m|
 |M|-|o|-|o|

 |o|M|-|o|
 |-|o|-|m|
 |o|-|o|o|
 |m|-|o|M|
 |o|o|-|o|
 |o|M|-|o|

 |m|-|o|M|-|
 |o|o|-|o|-|
 |M|-|o|-|o|
 |o|-|m|-|o|
 |o|-|o|o|-|
 |m|-|o|M|-|

 |o|-|m|-|o|
 |o|-|o|o|-|
 |-|o|M|-|o|
 |o|-|o|-|m|
 |M|-|o|-|o|
 |o|-|m|-|o|

 |o|-|o|-|m|
 |M|-|o|-|o|
 |-|m|-|o|o|
 |-|o|o|-|o|
 |-|o|M|-|o|
 |o|-|o|-|m|

 |o|o|-|o|
 |o|M|-|o|
 |o|-|m|-|
 |o|-|o|o|
 |m|-|o|M|
 |o|o|-|o|

 |o|-|o|o|-|
 |m|-|o|M|-|
 |o|-|o|-|m|
 |M|-|o|-|o|
 |o|-|m|-|o|
 |o|-|o|o|-|
Major Roots 
 |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|-|
Minor Roots 
 |o|-|o|-|o|
 |*|-|x|-|o|
 |-|o|o|-|o|
 |-|o|o|-|o|
 |o|-|o|-|x|
 |o|-|o|-|o|

 |o|o|-|o|
 |-|o|-|x|
 |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|-|
 |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|
 |o|-|x|-|
 |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|-|
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
  1. w-w
  2. w
  3. h-w
  4. h-w
  5. w-w
  6. w-w
  1. h-w
  2. w
  3. w-h
  4. w-h
  5. h-w
  6. h-w
  1. w-h
  2. h-w
  3. w
  4. w-w
  5. w-h
  6. w-h
  1. w-w
  2. h
  3. h-w
  4. w-w
  5. w-w
  6. w-w
  1. w-w
  2. w-w
  3. w
  4. h-w
  5. h-w
  6. w-w
  1. h-w
  2. h-w
  3. w
  4. w-h
  5. w-h
  6. h-w
  1. w-h
  2. w-h
  3. w
  4. w-w
  5. w-w
  6. 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--------

The scale map #'s are ordered as the number of notes lower than the root note + 1. Another way to look at it is if you start playing the pattern ascending from the lowest note, how many notes do you play before reaching the tonic. For the key of C Major in open position, there are 5 lower notes, so the pattern is #6.

As you ascend positions, this necessarily moves the tonic note lower by 1 note. This means the patterns actually occur in reverse as you ascend the fretboard, as you can see in the diagram above.

G Major Layout on Fretboard

      |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|
      |x|-|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|-|o|x|-|o|-|o|o|-|o|-|o|-|o|x|-|o|-|o|o|-|o|-|o|
Fret # 0     3   5   7   9     12    15  17  19  21    24

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

All we've done is moved the patterns leftward by 5 frets...or raised them by 7 frets. Going from C to G is a P4 downward and P5 upward, which correspond to -5 and +7 frets.

E Minor Layout on Fretboard

      |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|-|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|-|o|
      |x|-|o|o|-|o|-|o|o|-|o|-|x|-|o|o|-|o|-|o|o|-|o|-|o|
Fret # 0     3   5   7   9     12    15  17  19  21    24

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

The only change here from G Major to E Minor is to reposition the roots. All the notes are the same. Notice with the minor roots, our method of determining which pattern is a bit different. Before we looked at the location of the tonic note in reference to the lowest notes for the position. We can do the same thing here, but we have to add 2 to get the major root. For example, in open position, the low E is the lowest or first note of the pattern. Add 2 to get the 3 pattern, which corresponds to the major root, G, as the 3rd lowest note in the pattern.

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Last edited on 11 June 2015, at 21:40