F♯ G♯ A♯ B C♯ D♯ E♯ 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 7 positions Position 1 at frets 2-7
The major scale is the do re mi of Western music: the melody of most pop, folk and country songs, and the yardstick every other scale is measured against. On the guitar it falls into 7 positions. Position 1 starts on the root, frets 2-7. The root F♯ is at fret 2 on the low E string and fret 9 on the A string.
e|-------------------------------4-6-7-| B|-------------------------4-6-7-------| G|-------------------3-4-6-------------| D|-------------3-4-6-------------------| A|-------2-4-6-------------------------| E|-2-4-6-------------------------------|
e|-------------------------------6-7-9-| B|-------------------------6-7-9-------| G|-------------------4-6-8-------------| D|-------------4-6-8-------------------| A|-------4-6-8-------------------------| E|-4-6-7-------------------------------|
e|---------------------------------7-9-11-| B|--------------------------7-9-11--------| G|-------------------6-8-10---------------| D|-------------6-8-9----------------------| A|-------6-8-9----------------------------| E|-6-7-9----------------------------------|
e|--------------------------------------9-11-13-| B|------------------------------9-11-12---------| G|----------------------8-10-11-----------------| D|---------------8-9-11-------------------------| A|--------8-9-11--------------------------------| E|-7-9-11---------------------------------------|
e|-------------------------------------------11-13-14-| B|----------------------------------11-12-14----------| G|-------------------------10-11-13-------------------| D|-----------------9-11-13----------------------------| A|---------9-11-13------------------------------------| E|-9-11-13--------------------------------------------|
e|----------------------------------------------13-14-16-| B|-------------------------------------12-14-16----------| G|----------------------------11-13-15-------------------| D|-------------------11-13-15----------------------------| A|----------11-13-14-------------------------------------| E|-11-13-14----------------------------------------------|
e|-------------------------------2-4-6-| B|-------------------------2-4-6-------| G|-------------------1-3-4-------------| D|-------------1-3-4-------------------| A|-------1-2-4-------------------------| E|-1-2-4-------------------------------|
Strings from the low E (left) to the high E (right), frets numbered on the left. Magenta dots are the root, F♯. The tab under each diagram plays the position from its lowest note to its highest; play it back down the same way.
The positions above are slices of this map. They overlap: the highest notes of one are the lowest notes of the next, so once you know two neighbours you can slide from one to the other along a string.
7 notes: F♯ G♯ A♯ B C♯ D♯ E♯. In whole (W) and half (H) steps: W W H W W W H. The half steps are where the scale gets its colour.
| Note | Degree | Interval from the root | Half steps | Fret on the low E string |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| F♯ | 1 | Root | 0 | 2 |
| G♯ | 2 | Major 2nd | 2 | 4 |
| A♯ | 3 | Major 3rd | 4 | 6 |
| B | 4 | Perfect 4th | 5 | 7 |
| C♯ | 5 | Perfect 5th | 7 | 9 |
| D♯ | 6 | Major 6th | 9 | 11 |
| E♯ | 7 | Major 7th | 11 | 1 |
Learn the position nearest the nut first, then one three-notes-per-string position, playing it up and down with the metronome. Then improvise over the I, IV and V chords of the key, ending your phrases on the root.
Same notes, another root: D♯ natural minor. The shapes on the neck are the same; only the note you start and end on changes.
The natural minor lowers the 3rd, 6th and 7th degrees: same shapes, darker sound. Compare the two: F♯ natural minor.
Set the tempo low, play each position up and down with the button above, then try it yourself at the same speed. Raise the tempo by 4 BPM only when it is clean.
Going up: F♯, G♯, A♯, B, C♯, D♯, E♯, then F♯ an octave higher. Its formula is 1 2 3 4 5 6 7.
Start with position 1, frets 2-7: the root F♯ is under your finger 1 on the low E string. Play three notes on each string, from the low E to the high E, then back down. The diagrams and tabs on this page show all 7 positions.
On the low E string at fret 2, on the A string at fret 9. Those two root notes anchor most scale positions and barre chords.
The natural minor lowers the 3rd, 6th and 7th degrees: same shapes, darker sound.
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