How to Read Guitar Scale Diagrams

Lessons ❭ Guitar Scales ❭ How to Read Guitar Scale Diagrams

Guitar scale diagrams show the pattern of notes to play scales and how the pattern would appear laid out on the fretboard.

A scale diagram represents the fretboard of a guitar. As in a guitar tab, the bottom line of the guitar scale diagram represents the low E string.

Guitar Scale Diagram Showing the G Major Scale on the fretboard

This is the Scale Diagram as a Guitar Tab:

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

Follow the arrows in order to play the notes of the G Major scale on the guitar. The red (root) and black dots show where to fret the string to play each note of the scale.

This Scale Diagram Shows the Entire G Major Scale