Easy Scale Building

Playing different scales, modes and the orientation on the fretboard is a major topic for all guitar players and from my point of view there are 2 ways to approach this problem.

1. You can learn hunderts of patterns which you find in many pattern books you find on the market. Here you find a good collection of different patterns : https://www.guitar.ch/en/guitars/scales/scales.html

2. You understand what is the essence of a scale, how it's built and how you derive from the basic pentatonic patterns to the major and minor scales and modes.

The file which you can download here helps you to go the 2nd way. The key is that most guitar players come the minor pentatonic pattern 1 + 4 and there you can start the journey.

Derive Minor & Major Scales from basic pentatonic positions

1. Learn the positions 1 + 4 of the minor pentatonic and learn the intervals by heart - these are 1 b3 4 5 b7. The root note is marked red on the graphics.

2. Learn the posistions 1 + 4 of the major pentatonics. The trick is - they are exactly the same patterns on the fretboard - you just need to move the pattern down 3 frets, redefine the root note ( marked red ) and learn the new intervals 1 2 3 5 6 by heart.

3. Minor Scale - check the intervals. The new notes are marked red here : 1 2 b3 4 5 b6 b7. The grid of the pattern of the minor pentatonic remains - just add the 2 new notes.

4. Major Scale - check the intervals. The new notes are marked red here : 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 The grid of the pattern of the minor pentatonic remains - just add the 2 new notes.

Additional 2 minor scales ( Harmonic & Melodic Minor )

1. Harmonic Minor Scale - check the intervals and compare it with the minor scale. The new note compared with the minor scale is marked red. 1 2 b3 4 5 b6 7

2. Melodic Minor Scale - this one is not used often but good to know. It's a mix between minor and major scales. You can derive it either from the minor scale where you have to change 2 notes ( marked red ) 1 2 b3 4 5 6 7

or from the major scale where you have to change 1 note ( marked red ) 1 2 b3 4 5 6 7

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Once you understand that all scales and modes are related with each other then you just need to know the main patterns and the just adapt the note which changes.