guitar scales fretboard

guitar scales fretboard

If I hit any given note on a guitar fretboard how do I know where in a particular scale I am?

This is one thing that separates the masters from the rest. Sometimes, when I’m really playing in the “zone,” I have complete clarity about the fret board. Other times, I have to think about it or resort to familiar riffs.

I think of a note’s position in a scale with my eyes (visual) and/or my ears (aural).

Visually, one memorizes scale and chord shapes to the point where you have sort of a map of the fretboard. The most basic references are the notes running up the first and sixth strings. For example, the fifth fret is an A, and you can probably visualize the pentatonic minor blues shape at that position.

Next, you need to understand the scale position of each note in that box. For example (keeping with the minor pentatonic scale), starting at the fifth fret on the sixth string…

A – scale position 1 (the tonic)
C – scale position 3 (the minor third)
D – scale position 4 (the fourth)
E – scale position 5 (the fifth)
G – scale position 7 (the minor seventh)
A – scale position 1 (return to the tonic, an octave higher)

So if you were playing in the key of A, positioned at the fifth fret, you could probably learn fairly quickly which scale note you were playing at a given time. And you could move this up and down the neck for all the different keys — visually, it’s the same shape.

Now, expand this to include other positions on the neck, complete scales rather than the simpler pentatonic, and major/minor keys. You can see that the visual map becomes increasingly complex.

Okay. What about the aural method? This is much more fluid, and I believe should be the ultimate goal.

As long as you have a reference for the key you’re in to set your ear, you can hear the scale position simply by hearing the interval between the note you’re playing and the reference tonic.

That’s why students work on ear training. Once your ear becomes tuned up, recognizing scale intervals is a lot less brain work than visualizing, and can result in much more fluid playing.

When I’m really in that flow, I can hear instantly what note of the scale I’m in, and then use my memory of visual shapes to produce the melody I hear in my head. That’s where the visual map and the aural recognition combine.

Hope that helps. Good luck on your playing.

Guitar DVD presents: Mastering Fretboard Harmony DVD

CAGED Guitar System – How to Build and Use Chord Inversions and Arpeggio Patterns On the Fretboard. Acoustic and Electric Guitar Theory By Desi Serna $24.95 This video program is intended for intermediate to advanced level guitar players who are already comfortable using standard open and barre chords to play songs. You can sign up to view a free preview at the author’s website.There are literally thousands of different kinds of chords and chord shapes that can be played on the guitar, but did you know that most can be traced back to just 5 common ope…

EASY CAGED GUITAR DVD: Fretboard Mastery of Chords and Scales on the Entire Neck $11.65 Tired of basic, open chords? Sick of boring attempts at guitar solos? …Or are you just starting out, wanting to learn to play like your favorite guitarists NOW? The MJS CAGED Method is an easy system for learning to MASTER Chords and Scales in every position on the ENTIRE FRETBOARD! For example, there’s an open C chord… Moving up the neck, we have a C chord based on an open A shape. Extending …

Rusty Cooley Fret Board Autopsy- Scales, Modes & Patterns Level 1, $14.12 In the Fretboard Autopsy- Scales, Modes & Melodic Patterns, Level 1 DVD Rusty Cooley presents his unique fretboard visualization system of shapes and patterns, along with years of modal knowledge. Rusty was named one of the top 20 fastest shredders of all time, and has been an influence on many guitarists including Mark Tremonti and John Petrucci. Learn how the modes are covered across the neck, 5…

Fender Squier® Mini Stratocaster® Electric Guitar, Pink, Rosewood Fretboard $99.99 The Squier Mini Strat Electric Guitar is tje 3/4-size version (22.75″ scale length) of the Bullet and and makes an ideal travel guitar for players of all ages and a great first guitar for young beginners.. With 20 frets, it’s perfect for small hands. Features 3 single-coil pickups, master volume and tone controls, rosewood fretboard, and a hardtail bridge. Check the drop-down menu to the right to …

Arobas Music Guitar Pro 6.0 Deluxe Soundbank Edition $69.95 If you want to create your own guitar tabs, you need this awesome program. Guitar Pro 6 Deluxe Soundbank Edition by Arobas makes writing and editing guitar tablature super easy. Write your own original music by recording your guitar, laying down MIDI, or using the built in virtual fretboard or keyboard to enter in notes. Featuring a wicked sound engine that lets you play back your tabs, plus a bui…

eMedia Bass Method V 2 $49.95 eMedia Bass Method V 2 View larger. The latest version of the best-selling bass CD-ROM, now with interactive feedback on your playing! Learning is easy with techniques demonstrated in full-motion split-screen videos showing multiple angles and close-ups. The over 140 step-by-step full-screen lessons start with the basics, such as tuning the bass, and move on to playing simple bass line…

eMedia Guitar Master $22.99 Guitar Master will teach you to play for real with over 100 audio- and video-enhanced rock guitar lessons. You can start from ground zero, and our revolutionary teaching style will have you playing songs, chords and riffs within minutes. Soon you’ll be playing hit songs found in Guitar Hero and Rock Band, including “Paranoid” by Black Sabbath and “You Really Got Me” as by Van Halen. …

eMedia Guitar Method Deluxe – 3 Users $99.95 Wanna learn to play guitar? Grab Guitar Method Deluxe and you can go from beignner to intermediate, today! This interactive course is enhanced with audio and video plus an a chord dictionary to help you get on track and learn quickly. Why wait to learn to play guitar? Grab Guitar Method Deluxe and start learning today!…

PEAVEY MILESTONE SRS SUNBURST BASS GUIT $169.99 Great Bass Guitar for Beginners to Intermediate Players (Inv Code: W04)…

Luna Guitars Muse Dreadnought Cutaway Quilt Ash Lefty Left Handed Guitar $783.75 Luna Guitars Muse Dreadnought Cutaway Quilt Ash Lefty Left Handed Guitar….