Single String Study:'C' Major Scale
Last time, we examined the 'C' major scale running across the strings, and moving through some fretboard shapes. And that is
a great way to become proficient moving through different positions on the neck. But the best way to learn a scale, without
relying on patterns so much, is by working a scale 'laterally' - meaning up and down a single string. This process of scale study
is better for developing your ears, because music is an 'auditory', or hearing, art. It is not a visual art. Sometimes we guitar
players are easily stifled because if we can't see it, we won't play it. Freedom to play what is in our hearts is our goal. So
let's get free.
Since this is January, the first month of the year, I am going to continue working in the key of 'C' Major. What I want to do
is work through the 'C' Major scale up and down all six strings. Just a note of interest: just because a string begins with a
different note of the scale does not mean that you can't start on that note. I will explain as I diagram the scale laterally
on the string.
First, let's review the structure of the 'C' Major scale:
Scale formula----- R--2--3-4--5--6--7-R (The dashes between the scale steps represent increments of 'half-steps.")
C Major scale----- C D E F G A B C
Let it be known that even if you start with the 'E' note (or the 'Major 3rd') of the 'C' Major scale, if you continue up the
scale, using the same tones of the scale, it is STILL the 'C' Major scale. It doesn't matter what note you begin with, if you
use the same scale tones as the parent scale, then you are 'DIATONIC' to the scale. There are other terms for the scale that
you play when you start on a different tone, yet stay in the parent scale, but that is for a different article. Right now, let
us focus on this scale.
Ex.1 Up and down the low 'E' string;
1'E'-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2'B'-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3'G'-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4'D'-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
5'A'-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
6'E'-0--1--3--5--7--8--10-12-13-15-17-19-20-22-24-22-20-19-17-15-13-12-10--8--7--5--3--1--0--
E F G A B C D E F G A B C D E D C B A G F E D C B A G F E
Ex.2 Up and down the 'A' string;
1'E'-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2'B'-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3'G'-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4'D'-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
5'A'-0--2--3--5--7--8--10-12-14-15-17-19-20-22-24-22-20-19-17-15-14-12-10--8--7--5--3--2--0--
6'E'-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A B C D E F G A B C D E F G A G F E D C B A G F E D C B A
Ex.3 Up and down the 'D' string;
1'E'-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2'B'-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3'G'-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4'D'-0--2--3--5--7--9--10-12-14-15-17-19-21-22-24-22-21-19-17-15-14-12-10--9--7--5--3--2--0--
5'A'-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
6'E'-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
D E F G A B C D E F G A B C D C B A G F E D C B A G F E D
Ex.4 Up and down the 'G' string;
1'E'-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2'B'-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3'G'-0--2--4--5--7--9--10-12-14-16-17-19-21-22-24-22-21-19-17-16-14-12-10--9--7--5--4--2--0--
4'D'-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
5'A'-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
6'E'-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
G A B C D E F G A B C D E F G F E D C B A G F E D C B A G
Ex.5 Up and down the 'B' string;
1'E'------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2'B'-0--1--3--5--6--8--10-12-13-15-17-18-20-22-24-22-20-18-17-15-13-12-10--8--6--5--3--1--0---
3'G'------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4'D'------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
5'A'------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
6'E'------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
B C D E F G A B C D E F G A B A G F E D C B A G F E D C B
Ex.6 Up and down the high 'E' string
1'E'-0--1--3--5--7--8--10-12-13-15-17-19-20-22-24-22-20=19-17-15-13-12-10--8--7--5--3--1--0--
2'B'-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3'G'-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4'D'-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
5'A'-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
6'E'-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
E F G A B C D E F G A B C D E D C B A G F E D C B A G F E
As you can see, just because you start on a different note than 'C' doesn't mean that you are out of the scale. Learning the
scales laterally, like these examples, helps you hear AND see how the scales lay out on the neck.It also helps you develope
a neat little trick known as "melody." Try playing these examples up and down as shown. I have not provided fingerings for these
because I think you should develope your own way of interpreting the scale. Some players' hands are of different sizes, and
that can effect how you play the patterns. I will however, provide some other single string exercises that may open up your
mind to new ideas.
Ex.8a Ascending triplets (Use alternate picking and finger slides to shift positions)
1'E'-0-1-3--1-3-5--3-5-7--5-7-8--7-8-10--8-10-12--10-12-13--12-13-15--13-15-17--15-17-19--17-19-20-
2'B'-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3'G'-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4'D'-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
5'A'-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
6'E'-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ex.8b Wide interval stretches
1'E'-0--1--5--1--3--7--3--5--8--5--7--10--7--8--12--8--10--13--10--12--15--12--13--17--13--15--19---
2'B'------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3'G'------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4'D'------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
5'A'------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
6'E'------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ex.8c In Fours (16th notes, up the scale intervallicly)
1'E'-0-1-3-5--1-3-5-7--3-5-7-8--5-7-8-10--7-8-10-12--8-10-12-13--10-12-13-15--12-13-15-17--13-15-17-19-
2'B'---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3'G'---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4'D'---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
5'A'---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
6'E'---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ex.8d In Fours (16th notes, up four notes, slide up one interval, down four notes)
1'E'-0-1-3-5--7-5-3-1--3-5-7-8--10-8-7-5--7-8-10-12--13-12-10-8--10-12-13-15--17-15-13-12--13-15-17-19-
2'B'---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3'G'---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4'D'---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
5'A'---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
6'E'---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ex.8e Pick hand tapped intervals, in three's (RT= Right hand Tap, left hand for southpaws)
RT RT RT RT RT RT RT RT RT RT RT RT
1'E'-12-0-1--12-1-3--12-3-5--12-5-7--12-7-8--12-8-10--12-7-8--12-5-7--12-3-5--12-1-3--12-0-1--12-0-1
2'B'------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3'G'------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4'D'------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
5'A'------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
6'E'------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ex.8f Tapped intervals using open 'E' as a pedal tone (Tone that keeps repeating)
RT RT RT RT RT RT RT RT RT RT RT RT
1'E'-12-0-1--12-0-3--12-0-5--12-0-7--12-0-8--12-0-10--12-0-8--12-0-7--12-0-5--12-0-3--12-0-1--12-0-1
2'B'------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3'G'------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4'D'------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
5'A'------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
6'E'------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Please note that I am referencing all of the previous examples on the high 'E' string. That doesn't, by any means imply that you can't
use these examples on the other strings. You can even utilize TWO strings in one phrase. Let's look:
Ex.9a Two string triplets following the 'C' Major scale
1'E'-------0-1-3--------1-3-5--------3-5-7--------5-7-8---------7-8-10----------8-10-12--------------
2'B'-0-1-3--------1-3-5--------3-5-6--------5-6-8--------6-8-10---------8-10-12----------------------
3'G'-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4'D'-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
5'A'-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
6'E'-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ex.9b Two string triplets, sliding up and back down, through the scale.
1'E'-------0-1-3-5-3-1-------------3-5-7-8-7-5--------------7-8-10-12-10-8------------------10-12-13-15-
2'B'-0-1-3-------------5-3-1-3-5-6-------------8-6-5-6-8-10----------------12-10-8-10-12-13-------------
3'G'----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4'D'----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
5'A'----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
6'E'----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ex.9c Two string tapped sequence
RT RT RT RT RT RT RT RT RT RT RT RT RT RT
1'E'--------12-0-1--------12-1-3--------12-3-5--------12-5-7--------12-7-8---------12-8-10---------12-8-10-
2'B'-12-0-1--------12-1-3--------12-3-5--------12-5-6--------12-6-8--------12-8-10---------12-8-10---------
3'G'-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4'D'-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
5'A'-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
6'E'-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ex.9d Two string tapped descending sequence
RT RT RT RT RT RT RT RT RT RT RT RT
1'E'---------12-10-8--------12-8-7--------12-7-5--------12-5-3--------12-3-1--------12-1-0------------------
2'B'-12-10-8---------12-8-6--------12-6-5--------12-5-3--------12-3-1--------12-1-0-------------------------
3'G'--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4'D'--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
5'A'--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
6'E'--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Now, all of these sequnces are for you learning pleasure. Do not concern yourself with having a particular technique to play these.
These are simply to familiarize you with the 'C' Major scale on the neck in a linear fashion. If you select a certain way to play these
patterns, use it if it is comfortable. Eventually you will develope a more effecient way of playing these as you become more experienced.
These examples are by no means complete. There are an INFINITE amount of patterns and sequences. We will look at more in the coming months.
But before we look at those, I want to begin to examine how to construct chords from the scales. It is nice to be able to play leads, but
your rhythm playing IS the song. I will begin to analyze chords in the next installment. Good luck.
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Posted - 10 Jan 2006 : 12:28:57 
