Common Scale Exercises
Fixed Position Scales
Major Scale
- U M2 M3 P4 P5 M6 M7
Major Pentatonic Scale
- U M2 M3 P5 M6
Minor Scale
- U M2 m3 P4 P5 m6 m7
see Major Scale
Minor Pentatonic Scale
- U m3 P4 P5 m7
Blues Scale
- U m3 P4 d5 P5 m7
Harmonic Minor Scale
- U M2 m3 P4 P5 m6 M7
Melodic Minor Scale
- U M2 m3 P4 P5 M6 M7 (ascending)
- U M2 m3 P4 P5 m6 m7 (descending)
Whole-Half Scale
- U M2 m3 P4 d5 m6 M6 M7
Half-Whole Scale
- U m2 m3 M3 A4 P5 M6 m7
Whole-Tone Scale
- U M2 M3 A4 A5 A6 or U M2 M3 d5 m6 m7
E-------------------------1-3-5-3-1------------------------- B---------------------2-4-----------4-2--------------------- G-----------------2-4-------------------4-2----------------- D-----------1-3-5---------------------------5-3-1----------- A-------2-4---------------------------------------4-2------- E-1-3-5-----------------------------------------------5-3-1-
E-------------------------------------------1---3-1-5- B-----------------------------------2---4-2---4------- G---------------------------2---4-2---4--------------- D---------------1---3-1-5-3---5----------------------- A-------2---4-2---4----------------------------------- E-1-5-3---5------------------------------------------- E-5-1-3---1------------------------------------------- B-------4---2-4---2----------------------------------- G---------------4---2-4---2--------------------------- D-----------------------5---3-5-1-3---1--------------- A-----------------------------------4---2-4---2------- E-------------------------------------------5---3-5-1-
E---------------------------------------1---3---5-- B-------------------------------2---4-----2---4---- G-----------------------2---4-----2---4------------ D-----------1---3---5-1---3---5-------------------- A---2---4-----2---4-------------------------------- E-1---3---5---------------------------------------- E-5---3---1---------------------------------------- B---4---2-----4---2-------------------------------- G-----------4---2-----4---2------------------------ D-------------------5---3---1-5---3---1------------ A-------------------------------4---2-----4---2---- E---------------------------------------5---3---1--
E-----------------------------------------------------------------1---1-3-1-3-5- B-----------------------------------------------------2---2-4-2-4---4----------- G-----------------------------------------2---2-4-2-4---4----------------------- D-----------------------1---1-3-1-3-5-3-5---5----------------------------------- A-----------2---2-4-2-4---4----------------------------------------------------- E-1-3-5-3-5---5----------------------------------------------------------------- E-5-3-1-3-1---1----------------------------------------------------------------- B-----------4---4-2-4-2---2----------------------------------------------------- G-----------------------4---4-2-4-2---2----------------------------------------- D-----------------------------------5---5-3-5-3-1-3-1---1----------------------- A-----------------------------------------------------4---4-2-4-2---2----------- E-----------------------------------------------------------------5---5-3-5-3-1-
Chromatic Scale
- U m2 M2 m3 M3 P4 d5 P5 m6 M6 m7 M7
E--------------------------------------------------4-5-6-7/8- B----------------------------------------4-5-6-7/8----------- G--------------------------------4-5-6-7--------------------- D----------------------4-5-6-7/8----------------------------- A------------4-5-6-7/8--------------------------------------- E--4-5-6-7/8------------------------------------------------- E--8-7-6-5\4------------------------------------------------- B------------8-7-6-5\4--------------------------------------- G----------------------7-6-5-4------------------------------- D------------------------------8-7-6-5\4--------------------- A----------------------------------------8-7-6-5\4----------- E--------------------------------------------------8-7-6-5\4-
Three Note per String Scales
Major Scale
- U M2 M3 P4 P5 M6 M7
Major Pentatonic Scale
- U M2 M3 P5 M6
Minor Scale
- U M2 m3 P4 P5 m6 m7
Minor Pentatonic Scale
- U m3 P4 P5 m7
Blues Scale
- U m3 P4 d5 P5 m7
Harmonic Minor Scale
- U M2 m3 P4 P5 m6 M7
Melodic Minor Scale
- U M2 m3 P4 P5 M6 M7 (ascending)
- U M2 m3 P4 P5 m6 m7 (descending)
Whole-Half Scale
- U M2 m3 P4 d5 m6 M6 M7
E------------------------------4-5-7-5-4------------------------------- B------------------------4-6-7-----------7-6-4------------------------- G------------------4-5-7-----------------------7-5-4------------------- D-------------4-6-7----------------------------------7-6-4------------- A-------5-6-8----------------------------------------------8-6-5------- E-5-7-8----------------------------------------------------------8-7-5-
Half-Whole Scale
- U m2 m3 M3 A4 P5 M6 m7
E-------------------------------2-4-5-4-2------------------------------- B-------------------------3-4-6-----------6-4-3------------------------- G-------------------2-4-5-----------------------5-4-2------------------- D-------------3-4-6-----------------------------------6-4-3------------- A-------3-5-6-----------------------------------------------6-5-3------- E-4-5-7-----------------------------------------------------------7-5-4-
Whole-Tone Scale
- U M2 M3 A4 A5 A6 or U M2 M3 d5 m6 m7
E--------------------------------7-9-11-9-7-------------------------------- B-------------------------6-8-10------------10-8-6------------------------- G-------------------4-6-8--------------------------8-6-4------------------- D-------------3-5-7--------------------------------------7-5-3------------- A-------2-4-6--------------------------------------------------6-4-2------- E-1-3-5--------------------------------------------------------------5-3-1-
Four Notes per String Scales
Chromatic Scale
E------------------------------------------1-2-3-4- B----------------------------------2-3-4-6--------- G--------------------------2-3-4-5----------------- D------------------3-4-5-6------------------------- A----------4-5-6-7--------------------------------- E--5-6-7-8----------------------------------------- E-/5-4-3-2----------------------------------------- B----------6-5-4-3--------------------------------- G------------------6-5-4-3------------------------- D--------------------------7-6-5-4----------------- A----------------------------------8-7-6-5--------- E------------------------------------------9-8-7-6-