Major Scale Position #1

All scales below are transferable. This means that these scales can be moves with change all over the guitar. The example below is a G major scale in postition #1.

Follow the fingers listed on the fretboard

Minor Scales

Natural, Harmonic and Melodic Minor Scales

 

There are 3 different types of minor scales. The natural minor scale starts on the sixth degree of the major scale with no changes. There is also harmonic minor scale, which raises the seventh degree of the scale one semi-tone or fret on the guitar and the melodic minor scale which raises the sixth and seventh degree of the natural minor scale one semi-tone on the way up and then changes to a natural minor scale on the way down.

Look in the textbook on page 63 for clarification.

 

A natural minor scale

 

Notice that the A natural minor and the C major scale have the same key signature. They are called relative major and minor scales because they share the same key signature. All major scales have a relative minor scale, that share the same key signature.

 

 

 

A harmonic minor scale

 

The difference between a natural minor scale and a harmonic minor scale is that the 7th

degree or 7th note of the scale is raised one semi-tone or fret. In this case the 7th degree is the G#. This is an accidental within the scale and not in the key signature.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A melodic minor scale

 

The melodic minor scale is the same as the natural minor scale, except it has a raised 6th and 7th degree on the way up. On the way down it is the same as the natural minor scale. In this case the 6th degree is an F# while the 7th degree is a G#.

 

 

 

Below are the minor scales listed in closed positions. Practice all of these scales on each position of the guitar.

 

Scale #1 Natural minor scale

 

Natural Minor Scale Form

Natural minor scales follow the interval pattern Whole step, Half step, Whole step, Whole step, Half step, Whole step, Whole step (WHWWHWW), with the first note (and last) in the scale determining the scale name. Finding natural minor scales on a guitar is a question of following this pattern on your guitar.

A natural minor scale is taken from the major scale of the same name, but with the third, sixth, and seventh degrees lowered one half step.

Playing minor scales on the guitar is simply a matter of following the pattern shown below. Play the notes in the number order shown below. Your first note is indicated by the 1 shown on the first E string.

 

Harmonic Minor Scale Form

The harmonic minor scale is a variation of the natural minor scale. Consequently, finding harmonic minor scales on a guitar is similar to finding a natural minor except that it is off by one half step.

The harmonic minor scale occurs when the seventh note of the natural minor scale is raised a half step. The note is not raised in the key signature key signature but is instead marked in the music with accidentals (in this case, naturals, sharps or double sharps).

Again, playing harmonic minor scales on the guitar is simple. You just position the pattern shown below over the root (tonic) position you want to play in. Move it around to a different root to play the scale for that note.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Melodic Minor Scale Form

The melodic minor scale is derived from the natural minor scale. To find the melodic minor scale, raise both the sixth and seventh notes of the natural minor scale by one half step when going up the scale, but return to the natural minor when going down the scale.

This is a tricky one, so it's worth reiterating: While you’re going up in pitch when playing a piece, you raise the six and seventh degrees of the natural minor scale, but during parts of the same piece where the pitch goes down, you would play the notes according to the natural minor scale.

Again, the wonderful thing about the guitar is that you really only have to memorize one pattern for each type of scale and you’re set. To play the ascending melodic minor scale, play the pattern shown here.