Major Scale for Guitar - Guitar Lessons

The Major Scale can easily be played on one string up or down the length of the guitar neck as well as other combinations of patterns using multiple strings.

The major scale is the basis from which other guitar scales and guitar chords are derived from.

Major Scale Guitar Diagrams

 

Click on a Tab Below to View the Major Scale for Each Root Note

C Major Scale
D Major Scale
E Major Scale
F Major Scale
G Major Scale
A Major Scale
B Major Scale

Below are diagrams for the Major Scale showing the one octave major scale (left) and the two octave major scale (right) patterns. Move the root notes (in red) to the key you wish to play the major scale in. These major scale diagrams show the G Major Scale.

major scale guitar diagram major scale diagram two octaves guitar

The Formula for the Major Scale is whole step, whole step, half step, whole step, whole step, whole step, half step.

w = whole step, h = half step

The diagram below shows how to play the C Major Scale using one string on the guitar. Major Scales can be played starting on any root and using the same Major Scale formula.

Major Scale Formula

There are no sharp or flat notes between the notes E and F or B and C meaning there is only a half step between them.

The notes of scales are often numbered to help show their relationship to eachother in the scale and also when being used to build chords.

Below is a chart of the C major scale and how it's are numbered. This will help you become familiar with how to find the third and fifth notes of scale to build common chords from.

The C Major Scale has no sharp or flat notes in its scale. A major scale contains all the notes needed to make the chords for that key. The 8th note is the octave note of the scale.

The Notes of the C Major Scale

C D E F G A B C
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Major Scale Guitar Tabs

Guitar Tab for the A Major Scale, One Octave Pattern
A Major Scale Guitar Tab

Guitar Tab for the A Major Scale, Two Octave Pattern
A Major Scale Guitar Tab

Once you get familiar with the patterns of the major scale you can begin to improvise and play riffs with different patterns (playing the notes in different order) using the notes of the major scale.

Major Scale Guitar Tabs

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e|-----------------|
B|-----------------|
G|-----------------|
D|-----------4-6-7-|
A|-----4-5-7-------|
E|-5-7-------------|
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