Question: Construct the C major scale using only notes on the A string.

Answer: Since we know all the notes on the A string and that the structure of the C major scale is given in intervals to be:

Whole, Whole, half, whole, whole, whole, half


Then we continue by realizing that the third fret on the A string is a C note and use our interval pattern above to find the rest of the notes in the C major scale.

A3 = C
A5 = D
A7 = E
A8 = F
A10= G
A12= A
A14= B
A15= C


Question 2: Using no more than three notes per string, construct the C major scale from notes on the low E, A, and D strings.

Answer: Since we know all the notes on the Low E string, we realize that E8 is a C note. So, according to our interval pattern for the C major scale, we have that the first three notes of the scale are,

E8 = C
E10= D
E12= E

Since we know that A8 = F, we can continue by identifying the next three notes in the C major scale.

A8 = F
A10= G
A12= A

Finally, since we know that D9 = B, we have that the last two notes of the scale are,

D9 = B
D10= C


Using this last C major scale form over three strings, let's add the proper fingering and write it out as a finger exercise.

E8i, E10m, E12p
A8i, A10m, A12p
D9i, D10m

Let's write it out again, only this time we will add the symbols that indicate which direction to pick each note in with a pick.

E8id, E10mu, E12pd
A8id, A10mu, A12pd
D9id, D10mu


As a guitar player, it becomes rather important to pay attention to which direction your pick is heading in. So, what I would like you to do for homework is study the picking pattern of the above scale and try to determine what is important about this picking pattern. Also, practice playing this scale over and over again.


Corey J. Bray