A Major Scale - Easy Guitar Scales





When it comes to playing the major scales they are all movable patterns. Compare the A major scale to the G major, you will notice that the pattern used is the same. The only difference between other major scales is the fret that the root note is played on.

Let’s examine the G Major scale again as we did in the previous page just to give you an idea of how the patterns are the same. Look at the image below of the G Major scale.

G Major Scale



This major scale is played on the third fret, or should I say that the root note always starts on the 6th low E string and depending on the fret you start on will decide what scale you are playing because the pattern is movable and remains the same up or down the fret board.

Playing on the third fret as shown in the image is the G major scale. This scale pattern here is the basic major scale that you play on the guitar.

With that said let’s look at the A Major scale and see how that the pattern is the same but the root note changes to start on the 5th fret. Observe the image of the scale below and look at the pattern. As you will see the pattern does not change at all, only the beginning fret it is played on.

A Major Scale



Guitar theory is great to learn and I do suggest that you learn it, but my lessons here are as simple as you can get by showing you where to place your fingers and how to work the scale pattern. Most people do not care about theory; they just want to be shown how to do it.

Now I do want to tell you that as far as music theory goes for the scales, all you do is count your ABC’s in order. For example all of the major notes for the guitar are; ABCDEFG and that is as simple as you can get.

That being said here is a theory example of the C scale. C/ D/ E/ F/ G/ A/ B/C. See what I mean about saying your ABC’s in order?

Learning some music theory will help you to understand the A Major scale or any other guitar scale and the more knowledge that you have, the better musician you will become. It is my goal to just show you how things are done and you can learn theory at your own pace.

The first thing that I learned about the guitar was how to make the chords and then I learned what guitar chords go together. From there I was able to play the guitar and I learned more and more through the years.

When I first started playing I was one of those people that just wanted someone to show me how and I will learn the theory later. I am the hands on type of guy and if you show me, then I will do it. Take this A Major scale and practice it using the same finger pattern to play other major scales as well.



Back to The Home Page