Scale Diagrams and Patterns

All scales taught in this course with fretboard diagrams, TAB, finger patterns, and root note markers.

Finger numbering: 1 = index, 2 = middle, 3 = ring, 4 = little finger

Diagram key:

[C], [A] = root note (the note the scale is named after)
Letters = note names; numbers (first diagram only) = finger to use
O = open string; in the wider diagrams the row marked O holds the open-string notes
Fret numbers on the left

C Major Scale — Open Position

Introduced: Session 14
Notes: C - D - E - F - G - A - B - C
Key signature: No sharps or flats
Pattern: Whole - Whole - Half - Whole - Whole - Whole - Half

Fretboard Diagram (One Octave: Low C to High C)

String:  E  A  D  G  B  e
         │  │  │  │  │  │
Open     │  │  O  O  O  │    D, G and B (strings 4, 3 and 2 played open)
         │  │  │  │  │  │
Fret 1   │  │  │  │  1  │    C on string 2 (B) ← ROOT (high C)
         │  │  │  │  │  │
Fret 2   │  │  2  2  │  │    E on string 4 (D), A on string 3 (G)
         │  │  │  │  │  │
Fret 3   │  3  3  │  │  │    C on string 5 (A) ← ROOT (low C), F on string 4 (D)
         │  │  │  │  │  │

Full Diagram — All Notes in Open Position (Frets 0-3)

       E     A     D     G     B     e
       │     │     │     │     │     │
  O    E     A     D     G     B     E
       │     │     │     │     │     │
  1    F     │     │     │    [C]    F
       │     │     │     │     │     │
  2    │     B     E     A     │     │
       │     │     │     │     │     │
  3    G    [C]    F     │     D     G
       │     │     │     │     │     │

[C] = Root note (C)

TAB — Ascending and Descending

Up and down in eighth notes (the top C is played once; the last C lasts a full beat):

C Major Scale — Up and Down

e|--------------------------------------|-------------------------------|
B|------------------------------0---1---|---0---------------------------|
G|----------------------0---2-----------|-------2---0-------------------|
D|----------0---2---3-------------------|---------------3---2---0-------|
A|------3-------------------------------|---------------------------3---|
E|--------------------------------------|-------------------------------|
Count:  1   &   2   &   3   &   4   &       1   &   2   &   3   &   4
Pick:   D   U   D   U   D   U   D   U       D   U   D   U   D   U   D
Finger: 3   -   2   3   -   2   -   1       -   2   -   3   2   -   3
Notes:  C   D   E   F   G   A   B   C       B   A   G   F   E   D   C

In quarter notes the same notes are played one per click. In the Finger: row a dash means an open string.

Fingering Guide

String	Fret	Note	Finger
A	3	C (root)	3
D	0	D	Open
D	2	E	2
D	3	F	3
G	0	G	Open
G	2	A	2
B	0	B	Open
B	1	C (root)	1

Practice Tips

Start at 40 BPM, one note per click (quarter notes)
The sessions raise the tempo 5 BPM at a time, up to the course target of 60 BPM, two notes per click (eighth notes)
Use alternate picking (down-up-down-up)
Say each note name aloud as you play it
Keep fingers close to the fretboard when not fretting

Am Pentatonic Scale — Open Position

Introduced: Session 16
Notes: A - C - D - E - G
Formula: 1 - b3 - 4 - 5 - b7 (minor pentatonic)
Five notes, no half steps — ideal for improvisation and soloing

Guitar books and videos divide the pentatonic scale into five shapes called boxes. Most of them give the name Box 1 to the shape that starts at fret 5. The open-position pattern in this course is the shape they usually call Box 4, played twelve frets lower.

Fretboard Diagram — Open Position

       E     A     D     G     B     e
       │     │     │     │     │     │
  O    E    [A]    D     G     │     E
       │     │     │     │     │     │
  1    │     │     │     │     C     │
       │     │     │     │     │     │
  2    │     │     E    [A]    │     │
       │     │     │     │     │     │
  3    G     C     │     │     D     G
       │     │     │     │     │     │

[A] = Root note (A)

String 2 is never played open in this scale (open string 2 is B).

TAB — Ascending and Descending

Play the ascending line, then carry straight on into the descending line.

Ascending (twelve notes):

A minor pentatonic, open position: ascending (twelve notes)
e|----------------------|-------------------|-----------0---3---|
B|----------------------|-------------------|---1---3-----------|
G|----------------------|-----------0---2---|-------------------|
D|----------------------|---0---2-----------|-------------------|
A|--------------0---3---|-------------------|-------------------|
E|------0---3-----------|-------------------|-------------------|
Count:  1   2   3   4       1   2   3   4       1   2   3   4
Finger: -   3   -   3       -   2   -   2       1   3   -   3
Notes:  E   G   A   C       D   E   G   A       C   D   E   G

Descending (the top G is played once, so eleven notes; the last E lasts two beats):

A minor pentatonic, open position: descending (eleven notes)
e|------0---------------|-------------------|---------------|
B|----------3---1-------|-------------------|---------------|
G|------------------2---|---0---------------|---------------|
D|----------------------|-------2---0-------|---------------|
A|----------------------|---------------3---|---0-----------|
E|----------------------|-------------------|-------3---0---|
Count:  1   2   3   4       1   2   3   4       1   2   3
Finger: -   3   1   2       -   2   -   3       -   3   -
Notes:  E   D   C   A       G   E   D   C       A   G   E

The count shown is for quarter notes (one note per click). In eighth notes, each printed measure lasts two beats: count “1 & 2 &”. In the Finger: row a dash means an open string.

Fingering Guide

String	Fret	Note	Finger
E	0	E	Open
E	3	G	3
A	0	A (root)	Open
A	3	C	3
D	0	D	Open
D	2	E	2
G	0	G	Open
G	2	A (root)	2
B	1	C	1
B	3	D	3
e	0	E	Open
e	3	G	3

Practice Tips

Start at 40 BPM, one note per click (quarter notes)
The sessions raise the tempo 5 BPM at a time, up to the course target of 60 BPM, two notes per click (eighth notes)
The root notes (A) are your “home base” — start and end phrases on them
Try hammer-ons going up: pick the lower note on each string and hammer the higher one (on string 2, pick fret 1 and hammer fret 3)
Use this scale to improvise over Am, C, and Em chord progressions
Works over any 12-bar blues in A minor

Scale Comparison

Feature	C Major	Am Pentatonic
Notes	7 (C D E F G A B)	5 (A C D E G)
Position	Open (frets 0-3)	Open (frets 0-3)
Sound	Bright, complete	Bluesy, rock-friendly
Best for	Melodies, sight-reading	Improvisation, soloing
Introduced	Session 14	Session 16

Relationship Between the Two Scales

Am pentatonic is a subset of C major (all 5 notes appear in C major)
C major has two extra notes: F and B
Same fretboard region, different root notes
If you know one, you are already partway to knowing the other