Guitar Scales for Beginners: Charts and Tabs

What guitar scales should I learn first?

Learn the minor pentatonic first, then the major scale, then the blues scale. The minor pentatonic has only five notes and two per string, so it is quick to learn and works for solos straight away; the major scale teaches you how melodies and chords are built.

• A blues scale, root on the 6th string at fret 5

  A – C – D – E♭ – E – G

• G major scale, open position

  G – A – B – C – D – E – F♯

• E minor pentatonic, open position

  E – G – A – B – D

• G major pentatonic, root on the 6th string at fret 3

  G – A – B – D – E

A minor pentatonic is in the finder above. Each diagram shows the fretboard with the high E string on top (like tab) and fret numbers underneath. R marks the root; the other dots show the scale degree.

What is the pentatonic scale on guitar?

A pentatonic scale has five notes per octave. On guitar the minor pentatonic is played in a box shape with two notes on each string; the first box of A minor pentatonic is at frets 5 to 8, with the root A on the 6th string at the 5th fret.

e|----------------|-----5----------|-------------|
B|----------------|-5-8---8-5------|-------------|
G|-------------5-7|-----------7-5--|-------------|
D|---------5-7----|---------------7|-5-----------|
A|-----5-7--------|----------------|---7-5-------|
E|-5-8------------|----------------|-------8-5---|

e|----------------|---------5------|----------------|---------|
B|----------------|-----5-8---8-5--|----------------|---------|
G|---------------5|-7-8-----------8|-7-5------------|---------|
D|-----------5-7--|----------------|-----7-5--------|---------|
A|-----5-6-7------|----------------|---------7-6-5--|---------|
E|-5-8------------|----------------|---------------8|-5-------|

e|----------------|-----0----------|-------------|
B|----------------|-0-3---3-0------|-------------|
G|-------------0-2|-----------2-0--|-------------|
D|---------0-2----|---------------2|-0-----------|
A|-----0-2--------|----------------|---2-0-------|
E|-0-3------------|----------------|-------3-0---|

Play box 1 with the index finger on fret 5 and the ring or little finger on frets 7 and 8. The same shape at the 3rd fret gives G minor pentatonic; at the 12th fret, E minor pentatonic. In open position, E minor pentatonic uses open strings and frets 2 and 3.

How do you play a major scale on guitar?

Play a major scale by following the pattern whole, whole, half, whole, whole, whole, half from the root. In open position, C major starts on the 3rd fret of the A string and G major on the 3rd fret of the low E string.

e|----------------|---------------|
B|-------------0-1|-0-------------|
G|---------0-2----|---2-0---------|
D|---0-2-3--------|-------3-2-0---|
A|-3--------------|-------------3-|
E|----------------|---------------|

e|----------------|---------0-2-3-2|-0--------------|-------------|
B|----------------|---0-1-3--------|---3-1-0--------|-------------|
G|---------------0|-2--------------|---------2-0----|-------------|
D|---------0-2-4--|----------------|-------------4-2|-0-----------|
A|---0-2-3--------|----------------|----------------|---3-2-0-----|
E|-3--------------|----------------|----------------|---------3---|

On a single string the pattern is easy to see: from C at the 3rd fret of the A string, C major is frets 3, 5, 7, 8, 10, 12, 14, 15. See major scales and key signatures for the theory.

How do you change key with a guitar scale shape?

Find the new root on the 6th or 5th string and move the whole shape there, keeping the fingering the same. For example, A minor pentatonic box 1 starts at the 5th fret of the low E string; moved to the 8th fret it becomes C minor pentatonic.

Every fret number also works 12 frets higher. Use the finder above to check: choose a key and the shape moves for you.

How do you practice scales on guitar?

Practice scales slowly with a metronome, one note per click, using alternate picking (down, up, down, up). Go from the lowest root to the highest and back, then speed up five beats per minute at a time. Five minutes a day is enough.

1. Say the note names or degrees out loud as you play.
2. Play up and down at 60 beats per minute, one note per beat.
3. Then two notes per beat (eighth notes).
4. Play the scale over a backing track in the same key and make up short phrases.

Self-assessed You are ready to speed up when you can play the scale twice with no mistakes and an even sound.

Scale notes in every key

See also minor keys and scales. Classfern’s free guitar tools on lessonplanner.info run in your browser; put a scale over a beat with the metronome and backing tracks, or find every note in the guitar notes chart.