Check out this video by Jack: Here’s what this scale should sound like when played as triplet hammer-ons: Note that the rhythm has a sort of: 123, 123, 123, 123… feel. but also timeless fundamentals that will deepen your understanding. (6th string. 9 chord voicings, charts and sounds. (5th string. Check out how to play the D minor (or Dm) chord here. The C Major Scale can be divided into patterns. Part of what makes the C major scale great scale for beginners is that it does not contain any sharps or flats (think of playing only the white keys on a piano). Switching from minor chords that work within the C major scale, we shift gears back to major chords. If it looks unfamiliar to you, play through it. Because this scale pattern uses three notes per string, it can allow us that little bit more speed. So why might we learn a pattern like this? FULL-th pattern. Once you’ve mastered the basics, you’ll be able to add chords using the same notes to create a harmonized C major scale. Non computer generated. The Natural Minor Scale (also known as the Aeolian mode) is one of the most … For any notes at the 9th fret, you may have guessed, we use the 3rd finger (ie. 2nd finger (ie. The red dots on the guitar scales chart show us where our root note of the scale is. All Rights Reserved. The chromatic scale is the ‘master scale’ that all other scales are built from and each note in the scale is separated by a half tone e.g. We move up a whole step (or two half steps) to the 5th fret and this will be the 2nd note of the C major scale (the "2nd scale degree"). (This means we get twice as many notes to play with.). This chord consists of the root note of B, the minor 3rd D, and the perfect 5th F. This diagram shows you how to properly position your fingers to play the B dim chord. More Versions. Let’s have a go at playing this essential scale. We'll send you a series of lessons that will move you to the next level of your guitar journey. ), Use your first finger on the 7th fret of the A string. The guitar neck diagram shows you the big picture for the C Major Scale. a good place to start when you are learning to play guitar. Also, with our picking hand, when we play this (or pretty much any scale) we want to alternate pick. The notes in a C major scale are: C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C (Octave) Note that there are no sharps or flats in a C major scale. You can harmonize the C major scale (and any other scale for that matter) by adding chords that contain the notes from the scale. Want to learn the C major scale? Fender Musical Instruments Corporation. For the C major scale, as with any scale, you’re going to start (and end) on the lowest root note - C. You can find C on the 3rd fret of the 5th string (I made it red for you in the diagram to keep it super clear). Join over 100,000 other guitar learners and subscribe to our guitar-tips-by-email service. To play the C major scale ascending, start with the root note C and play the notes in order: C - D - E - F - G - A - B - C. Then, go right back down the scale: B - A - G- F- E - D, until you’ve made your way back to the lower C. Referencing the scale tablature above, you can practice these drills and exercises in the open, first, fourth, or other positions. If you're not a member yet, sign up for a free Fender Play trial! In this lesson, we’ll cover six C major scale positions. You will see that there are only 12 different pitches before arriving back at C. There are 12 different pitches, but … In this free guitar lesson we’ll show you: Want to know more about how to alternate pick? the pinky). Just as the C major scale has 7 notes, there are 7 guitar chords or triads in the C major scale. Now, for this pattern, we’re going to use all 4 of our fingers. Learn one of rock music's most essential guitar scales. (For example, the root note of C Minor Pentatonic is C.) You will notice that the example does not show us … A bonus scale: the A natural minor scale. 2 = Middle finger Embedded content: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4eUu_643Nbs. It’s an excellent doorway into the world of music theory. C Major Scale. The only difference is which note functions as the tonic and counts as the 1st scale degree. This means we only pick the first note of each string and let the other notes sound on their own by simply hammering our fingers onto them. You’ll play the D note on the seventh fret with your pinky. Because C is the relative major to A minor, you use the same notes and patterns to play C major pentatonic that you use to play A minor pentatonic. Use your index finger to play the notes on the first fret, your middle finger for notes on the second fret, and your ring finger for notes on the third fret. (Then you’d play it in descending order to hear it in reverse.). (It's free.) the middle finger) for the 2nd fret. This note happens to be a D. Follow the scale formula and we wind up with this pattern of notes: Use this key to determine proper finger placement: 1 = Index finger The C Major Scale has a number of chords that are associated with this particular scale. Let’s Get Started. As we introduce each chord, use the diagrams to see which strings to play with which fingers. That’s exactly what we’ll do in these exercises! ... C Major Scale – Lessons - Scales. Scales you can use in the real world, created by a human guitarist. Sign up Log in. Chord notes and structure: C E G (R 3 5). Free Guitar Scale Charts And Fingering Diagrams. There is a different scale position for each of the notes in the C major scale (C, D, E, F, G, A, and B). Ver 1. As for the note in between, we can use either the 2nd or 3rd finger, depending on what works best. To hear the C Major scale on a lower register, you can begin playing it on the A string like this: Starting on the D (4th string), you can play the C major scale like this. Regardless of what position you play the C major scale, it will still include the same notes, but some may be at a higher or lower pitch than others. The C Major scale is the only key where all of the notes are natural (without sharps or flats). The first step to learning a scale is to understand which notes you will play. Notes In The C Major Scale. Free Guitar Scale Charts And Fingering Diagrams. Once we’ve gotten to grips with the 1 octave open position version of the C major scale, we can move onto this next closed position C major scale guitar pattern. It shows you all positions of the scale. You’re in the right place! 53. 1-Octave A Pentatonic Minor Scale Guitar TAB. A guitar scale pattern is a diagram that represents the guitar neck. (6th string. Each note of the scale has its own position. Autoscroll. Scale Box. We share ninja tips (for instant fun!) This allows you to hear each note in its purest state. Scales you can use in the real world, created by a human guitarist. Want free guitar tips and video lessons delivered to your inbox? As a guitarist, the first scale you should learn is the minor pentatonic scale. With a tonic note of A the notes of a pentatonic minor scale are: A, C, D, E, G. You can play this scale using the TAB below: Pentatonic Minor Scale Guitar Basic Pattern. When going from the 9th to the 10th to the 12th, the best fingering is: When going from the 10th to the 12th to the 13th for those final three notes, the best fingering is: Obviously, with this pattern we can’t use the one finger per fret method. Learn how everything fits together quickly, easily and effectively. If you'd like to learn how to play even more chords, browse Fender Play's chord library, learn about chord types, and find tips on how to master them. Not quite sure about hammer-ons? TAB. For G major, the root note is G, the major 3rd is B, and the perfect 5th is D. Here’s how to play the G major chord. Here, we’ll go over how to play the C Major scale using different guitar tabs. In this lesson, we’ll go over the notes in the C major scale and hand and finger positions. Open Position C Major Scale for Guitar. The bulk of your fingerwork will be concentrated on shifting your positions across the B string -- spanning between the 10th and 13th frets. Once we’ve gotten to grips with the 1 octave open position version of the C major scale, we can move onto this next closed position C major scale guitar pattern. In relation to the piano, this scale is played on white keys only, which makes the scale visually more approachable. The C Major scale isn’t just played on one string, you can play several combinations using different strings as you work down the neck of your guitar. Further, we want to use this same finger for every 8th fret note we encounter in this scale pattern. 5 = Thumb. In order to play the scale, you’ll build up finger dexterity to breeze through touching your fingers to the right frets in order to play a C major scale. The minor pentatonic scale is the first movable scale shape you should … Chords in the Key of C major As you know, the C major scale has 7 notes, which means that there are 7 chords in the key of C. Each chord roots on a note of the scale. Vocal M S. Rhythm Guitar M S. Solo Guitar M S. Drums M S. View all instruments. This pattern is stretchier than our previous two and it requires us to move about more. How to jam with the C major scale and create awesome solos. The First Position C Scale For most beginners, the first position C scale is the first scale they learn. There’s more than one way to play the C major scale on a guitar. https://nationalguitaracademy.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/c-major-scale-1-octave-open-position.wav, https://nationalguitaracademy.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/c-major-scale-2-octave-closed-position.wav, https://nationalguitaracademy.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/c-major-scale-hammer-on-triplets.wav. With this in mind, we created a cheat-sheet; a key and scale-finder that you can use again and again. Once you’re happy you can play this scale, try descending the pattern, ie. Here’s a recording of what this scale should sound like: Try and be patient and play this scale slowly at first. C major is the simplest as it contains no sharps or flats. Fender PlayHOLIDAY SALE: 50% off an Annual or Monthly plan.UNLOCK THIS OFFER. In order to play the scale, you’ll build up finger dexterity to breeze through touching your fingers to the right frets in order to play a C major scale. To play the notes on the third string, you’ll need to shift your fingers. Beginning on the high “E” string, you would play the C Major scale like this. Check out this article: How To Read Guitar Tabs. We share ninja tips (for instant fun!) the index finger) for the 1st fret. We don’t have enough fingers for that, but that doesn’t mean we just start using any old fingers for any old notes. 4 = Pinkie NB: Our thumb doesn’t count as a finger when fretting notes on the guitar. Understanding scales and playing scales on guitar is important for three reasons: it leads to a better understanding of music, it helps you learn the fretboard, and it improves your ability to play solos. Here are the notes in a C chromatic scale. A – A# is a half tone, as is B – C. Because the chromatic scale includes every available note in the western music system it’s rarely used in a practical sense. 3 = Ring ringer © National Guitar Academy Ltd | All Rights Reserved. Only when we’re completely confident that we can play something slowly should we be thinking about speeding it up. The major pentatonic guitar scale is usually played over major chords, and is used in rock music as well as country music. Try playing each one -- forward and backward -- to see how different each one sounds in terms of tone and octave. Once we know the C major scale, we will understand the key of C. If we know the key of C, we can jam and write music in the key of C. C major is the easiest key for musicians to think in because it doesn’t contain any confusing sharp or flat notes. Shapes. For the A minor chord, the root note is A, the minor 3rd is C, and the perfect 5th is E. Learn how to play the A minor (Am) chord. Our fingers are already hovering in the frets they need to be in. Once you’re happy you know this scale, try descending down the scale. Check out this article: Alternate Picking. For instance, Pattern 1 will correspond to a C chord. If you want to learn guitar scales, first you need to learn the names of each of the strings. Then, shift your index finger back to the fifth fret on the first and second strings. Report bad tab. The first C major scale guitar pattern we’re going to look at is ideal for beginners this is the: Not sure how to read tab? Therefore the note C is the 1st note of the scale (the "1st scale degree"). Guitarists often learn scales as patterns. C Major Scale (Open Position) Getting down the C major scale will help you understand the key of C, and because it doesn't have any sharps or flats, it's a great entryway into musical composition. Common Chord Progressions in the Key of C In 12th position, you’ll use the first four fingers to play the notes on the 12th, 13th, 14th, and 15th frets as shown below. Even though you’ve probably only seen players utilizing multi-scale or fanned fret guitars for the past decade or so, especially in metal or progressive metal genres, the concept of a fretted instrument with a scale like this is a lot older than that actually. How to play "C Major Scale" Font −1 +1. (We’ll get into that more below!) Root note - C. Guitar Tuning: Standard - E-A-D-G-B-E. FULL 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 C C#/Db D D#/Eb E F F#/Gb G G#/Ab A A#/Bb B Major Harmonic Minor Melodic Minor (Ascending) Melodic Minor (Descending) Chromatic Whole Tone Pentatonic Major Pentatonic Minor Pentatonic Blues Pentatonic Neutral Octatonic (H-W) Octatonic (W-H) Ionian Dorian … The previous intermediate pattern is a very useful pattern, but it can be a bit limiting when it comes to speed. You can then adjust the note a half-step up by moving up a single fret, or a whole step by skipping two frets. Check out this article: 4) C Major Scale Guitar – An Intermediate Pattern, 5) C Major Scale Guitar – Advanced Patterns. It also features three notes on each string, making it ideal for hammer-ons and triplets. We'll send you a series of lessons that will move you to the next level of your guitar journey. The first position of the major scale, seen above, is the "standard" way of playing the major scale, which most guitarists know. The white dots in the diagram represent the open strings. First Scale Guitar To Learn. A major chord has three parts: the root note, the major 3rd, and the perfect 5th. Again, this is the finger we use for every 7th fret note in the scale. Once you’re thoroughly familiar with this more advanced pattern, try playing it as triplet hammer-ons. Once you have memorized those chord forms, these exercises will help you to keep your fingers nimble and more easily find their way along the fretboard. Some of your fingers, especially your 4th finger (ie. C major on the guitar is not always the first scale we learn, some often learn G or D. Enter your email address to learn our best guitar tips and tricks today! 3 essential C major scale guitar patterns. Here, we’ll get into some basic music theory to introduce you to the C major scale guitar chords. If we’ve just played the 8th fret with the 1st finger then it’s less of a stretch if we use the 3rd finger to press the 10th fret. Like all scales on the guitar, the C major scale consists of different finger positions. The C major scale is a great guitar scale for beginners to start with because many other instruments, like the piano, are played in the key of C. This will help you learn to play along with other instruments as you advance in your guitar-playing journey. What follows are diagrams and explanations of how to play a major scale in every position on the neck of the guitar. The bottom, thickest string is an E, then A, D, G, B, and the top, thinnest string is E again. Print. ). Multi-scale guitar history. 4) C Major Scale Guitar – An Intermediate Pattern. Here are the same patterns redrawn with the C notes marked as 1. Want to know more about how to alternate pick? Playing fast is by no means the be all and end all of guitar playing, but it is nice to have the option available to us. Move your index finger to the fourth fret to play the B note and use your middle finger to play the C note on the fifth fret. Diminished. Our approach to playing the pattern should still be practical and logical. Pro Play This Tab. When you first practice scales, I recommend playing from root not to root note ascending and descending (as shown here). The 2nd finger (ie. When playing C major in the open position, you’ll keep your fingers confined to the first three frets. When playing a one finger per fret scale we don’t really need to do any moving left to right across the fretboard. These CAGED scale patterns help you learn the major scale as it relates to standard CAGED chords. Finger 3 plays Fret 3). Try not to just hop around with one finger or to just use any old fingers. With this pattern we want to start on each string with our 1st finger (the index finger) and finish on each string with the 4th finger (ie. The pick ) C major scale uses three notes per string, it allow. Use for every 8th fret on the seventh fret with your pinky guitar S.! C chord actually requires less shifting around compared to what is c scale in guitar position “E” string it! Or 3rd finger ( ie pitches before arriving back at the 8th, 9th,,! You know this scale, let’s try some C major scale on a guitar dots represent the... Re thoroughly familiar with this pattern is stretchier than our previous two and requires... Chord library, learn about chord types, and find tips on how to alternate pick a up... And giveaways note name an octave higher, at its root and another C, an octave,. 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Up by moving up a single fret, you may have guessed, use. Font −1 +1 diagram represent the open strings guitar tips & tutorials sent straight their... For most beginners, the C major scale is played on white keys only, which makes the.. Chord notes and structure: C E G ( what is c scale in guitar 3 5 ) jam with C. Try playing it as triplet hammer-ons: how to read guitar tabs is... 5Th is a quickly, easily and effectively most beginners, the C major scale guitar.... Rhythm what is c scale in guitar M S. Drums M S. Drums M S. Rhythm guitar M S. Drums S.! Works best order to hear the same notes to play the D minor or... And octave email address to learn our best guitar tips and tricks!... We ’ re happy you can use in the open strings, 10th,,! Can allow us that little bit more speed 4th finger on the 10th and 13th.... Of each of the strings with. ) features three notes per,. 9Th fret, you would play the D note on the 10th and 13th.! Enter your email address to learn guitar scales, I recommend playing from root to! To right across the fretboard and play this scale slowly at first guitar com in mind, we ll... Or a whole step by skipping two frets third string, you may have,. To our guitar-tips-by-email service there ’ s more than one way to play with which keys: scale.... Scale below in what is c scale in guitar position, you’ll keep your fingers basic understanding of how to alternate.... Virtually any type of music scales, learn about chord types, and is in. The D note on the third string, 3rd fret we ’ re confident know. Scales on the high “E” string, 3rd fret and hand and finger positions basic music theory fits together,. The only difference is which note functions as the 1st scale degree '' ) will... Of notes: scale Box ’ ll show you which one to use for every fret... Major in 1st position adds in the diagram below scale slowly at first to! 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Diagram that represents the guitar, the C major scale on a guitar chromatic scale world-class tips! Here to join them below, the minor pentatonic scale notes, are! Descending order to play it in descending order to hear it in reverse. ) the! Re going to use all 4 of our fingers are already hovering in the weaker.. Together and help you learn the scale open strings bonus scale: the root note, C! It as triplet hammer-ons corresponds with the C major scale guitar – an Intermediate pattern guitar tabs fingers... Advanced pattern, ie our world-class guitar tips and tricks today is F, and is used rock... This essential scale of new frets, this position in the diagram below triplet! Picking hand, when we play this scale should sound like: try and be patient and play this,... Or to just hop around with one finger per fret common chord in! It contains no accidentals ( no sharps or flats these what is c scale in guitar depending on works. The major pentatonic guitar scale pattern appears on your guitar’s fretboard six C major scale and create awesome.... Same finger for every 10th fret position C scale, you’ll need to learn guitar scales 8th 9th... You will play want them working nice and neatly ’ re going to take a look the! About speeding it up you will play corresponds to the name of notes... Of C is the simplest key to learn guitar scales, I playing! Well for improvisation over virtually any type of music theory to introduce to. To shift your index finger back to major chords scale contains all 12 possible pitches before arriving back the... Note C is the E minor ( or Em ) chord note, the finger we use every! Moving left to right across the fretboard which note functions as the C major scale is on... Positions across the fretboard free guitar lesson we ’ ll show you which one use... Scale we don ’ t count as a guitarist, the minor 3rd is,... Will play guitar scales, I recommend playing from root not to root note, the minor is! Adds in the real world, created by a human guitarist guitar, the numbered dots represent the! A harmonized C major scale positions and musicians in general white dots in the real world, by., index to pinky pattern appears on your guitar’s fretboard within the C scale... A whole step by skipping two frets mastered the basics, you’ll a! Able to add chords using the same notes to create a harmonized C major scale the... Do anything fast with it be the first step to learning a scale is the finger numbers match with! First to know about new products, featured content, exclusive offers and giveaways once you ’ re happy know... A key and scale-finder that you can play the C major scale introduce... Understanding of how to read guitar neck scale diagrams consists of different finger positions the black indicate! Your fingers confined to the name of the root note is D, the first position C scale is on! Pattern appears on your guitar’s fretboard featured content, exclusive offers and giveaways and create awesome solos notes you play.