SCALES

CHROMATIC SCALE

These are all the notes that you will find in standard, western music.

A - A#/Bb - B - C - C#/Db - D - D#/Eb - E - F - F#/Gb - G - G#/Ab -

* When ascending, the notes in between will be SHARP (#), when descending, these
notes will become FLAT (b). For example, when ascending, the note that follows ‘A’,
would be ‘A#’. If we were working backwards down our guitar neck, this same note
would be referred to as ‘Bb’.

* REMEMBER - There are no SHARPS or FLATS in-between ‘B’ - ‘C' and ‘E - F’.
* REMEMBER - If you travelled all the way through the chromatic scale and reach the
same note again - you have travelled one ‘OCTAVE’.

C MAJOR SCALE

e
B
G 2 4 5
D 2 3 5
A 3 5
E

* REMEMBER - As long as you maintain the same distance between the frets, you can
move this shape up and down the fretboard to achieve a multitude of major scales. For
example, the above position starts on the 3rd fret and is the C Major Scale. If you move
this shape up one fret to start on the 4th, then this would become the C# Major scale -
Once more becomes the D Major scale - and so on…
* Try playing this shape ascending and descending.

C MAJOR SCALE - WITHIN THE SHAPE OF THE C MAJOR CHORD

e
B 0 1
G 0 2
D 0 2 3
A 3
E

* To play the above shape - start by fretting your C Major chord and then follow the notes, whilst
trying to keep your fingers as close to the fretboard as possible. Never come too far away from
the neck when lifting your fingers off.