theory question

Sune

Sune

New member
Well, I'm all new to theory, and I've been reading some stuff on a homepage, where it says I should start with learning the C major scale (think it's called that in english, but I don't know), and there's some pictures..For example, they say this is all the tones on the fretboard:

hals-toner-kromatisk.gif


But on the picture there's 24 frets, and I only have 22, so how can I use those theory things on my guitar??

And also, can someone tell me the other scales besides C? Because I think I understood it like there's A-B-C-D-E-F-G, and they are only showing the C major scale, which they say is enough to learn the scale thing..Is it?? Please bare with me if my questions are a bit weird, I've never read theory before, because I'm a beginner, and we all got to start somewhere.
 
Re: theory question

in answer to your question about you only having 22 frets as aposed to 24, thats completely fine, your only going to missout on 2 notes (E and E flat)
the fret board picture your showing, its not the C-major scale, its just a map of where all the notes are on the neck, the notes in C-Major are C,D,E,F,G,A,B,C. the only reason they sugest learning this first is becasue it has no sharps or flats, just to keep it simple.
 
Re: theory question

Yes, I know, but if you read it, I actually wrote it was all the notes on the fretboard, this is the C Major scale right?:

hals-med-cdur-skala.gif


But about the 22 fret thing, does it just mean that I won't have any problems, and it doesn't matter that I don't have the last two frets? That's reassuring, thanks.
 
Re: theory question

For a 22 fret guitar just imagine the last 2 frets onthe right aren't there.

Every major scale will have 7 notes. The notes are divided into whole steps and half steps. On the guitar a half step is the distance from one fret to a one fret higher or lower (G to G# or F to E are half steps). A whole step on the guitar going from one fret to a fret 2 fret higher or lower (G to A or F to D#).

Whole=W Half=H

The intervaul of a major scale are W-W-H-W-W-W-H

If you look at the diagram it's a W step from C to D, a W step from D to E, a H step from E to F, a W step from F to G, a W step from G to A, a W step from A to B, and a H step from B to C.

To play a D scale you would start on D and use the some intervauls to find the notes in a D scale. From D you go a W step to E, a W step from E to F#, a H step from F# to G, a W step from G to A, a W step from A to B, a whole step from B to C#, and a H step from C# back to D.

This is one of the easiest ways to figure out what notes are in a major scale. The numbers are the order of notes in a scale 1 being the root or tonic of the key. Pick any note to start with and than from there figure out what note is a W step up and figure out what note from the 2nd note is a W step up and then from there figure out what note is a H step up and so on until you are back to your first note.

|1| |2| |3 | 4| |5| |6| |7 | 1|
C D E F G A B C
D E F# G A B C# D

I hope that makes any sense and is of some help.
 
Re: theory question

plus that fretboard diagram is not the c major scale. Those are only the notes contained in the C major scale as well as a number of other keys.

A scale is a pattern of intervals.
 
Re: theory question

ahh, sorry, so what could I call it then?

And thanks woodcutter, it helps alot.
 
Re: theory question

Hmm, how do I make that thing in E for example then? Because it would go out of my fretboard, since I only have 22 frets. And what about F,G,A,B? is it all just the same principle with w-w-h-w-w-w-h, and then stop, or does it continue until my fretboard ends?
 
Re: theory question

there are only 8 notes in a scale hence the word OCTAVE. a C major would be C D E F G A B C. assuming you start the scale on the low E that would be

------------------------------------
------------------------------------
------------------------------------
7--9--10---------------------------
7--8--10---------------------------
8--10-------------------------------

That is one scale. C Major. If you then took that shape and moved it to the 12th fret the "shape" would be the same but it would then be an E major scale. There are all kinds of shapes and fingerings this is the most basic.

The fact that you have only 22 frets doesnt matter at all, what do you think they did back in the day when guitars had only 21 or 22 standard, not play scales?

Scale is 8 notes.
 
Re: theory question

Hmm, can you explain exactly what makes it a C Major scale?? And how should I read it, like 3 chords?
 
Re: theory question

Sune said:
Hmm, can you explain exactly what makes it a C Major scale?? And how should I read it, like 3 chords?
Click to expand...

what makes it a C major scale is the fact that starting from C, the intervals of the major scale land on those notes. w-w-h-w-w-w-h. You can do that starting from any note.
 
Re: theory question

h8red442 said:
That is one scale. C Major. If you then took that shape and moved it to the 12th fret the "shape" would be the same but it would then be an E major scale. There are all kinds of shapes and fingerings this is the most basic.
Click to expand...

Does that mean I could do like this:

D major scale:

----------------
----------------
----------------
-9---10--12-----
-9---9---12-----
-10--12---------



E major scale:

----------------
----------------
----------------
-11--13--14----
-11--12--14----
-12--14--------

Please don't laugh if it's wrong, I'm trying to learn. And be patient.
 
Re: theory question

Sune said:
Does that mean I could do like this:

D major scale:

----------------
----------------
----------------
-9---10--12-----
-9---9---12-----
-10--12---------



E major scale:

----------------
----------------
----------------
-11--13--14----
-11--12--14----
-12--14--------

Please don't laugh if it's wrong, I'm trying to learn. And be patient.
Click to expand...

That's exactly right. Take that principal and move it around the fret board.

A Major Scale is
1 1 .5 1 1 1 .5

If you want to learn a scale a basic scale that resolves itself that is it. Start on F and the scale progression is the same.

F G A A# C D E F

With the diagram of the fret board above that lays out the different notes and what frets they're on you can apply that anywhere. Whatever your root note follow that progression and you will get the complete 8 note scale to resolve itself (end up at the root one octave higher)

For Minor stuff flat the third. F Minor would be

F G G# A# C D E F
 
Re: theory question

Well, I have a hard time understanding how I should make the F major scale, the others are like this right:

G major scale:
------------------
------------------
------------------
-1--3--4----------
-1--2--4----------
-2--4-------------

A major scale:
------------------
------------------
------------------
-3--5--6----------
-3--4--6----------
-4--6-------------

B major scale:
--------------------
--------------------
--------------------
-5--7--8------------
-5--6--8------------
-6--8---------------

C major scale:
--------------------
--------------------
--------------------
-7--9---10----------
-7--8---10----------
-8--10--------------

D major scale:

---------------------
---------------------
---------------------
-9---10--12----------
-9---9---12----------
-10--12--------------

E major scale:

-----------------
-----------------
-----------------
-11--13--14-----
-11--12--14-----
-12--14---------
 
Re: theory question

Bludave said:
Do yourself a favor and go buy a book on scales and modes. They are expalained in detail in most books

This should give you some basic information, but a book or video would be worth the investment. You can always go back and review again.

Check this out. http://www.users.texomaonline.com/estep/eartraining/Scales.html
Click to expand...

Well, the problem is I can't find a book in danish with all those things, therefore I have to ask here, and it's extra hard in english, because the things are named very differently, like major and minor are called dur and mol in danish.
 
Re: theory question

Sune said:
Well, I have a hard time understanding how I should make the F major scale, the others are like this right:

G major scale:
------------------
------------------
------------------
-1--3--4----------
-1--2--4----------
-2--4-------------

A major scale:
------------------
------------------
------------------
-3--5--6----------
-3--4--6----------
-4--6-------------

B major scale:
--------------------
--------------------
--------------------
-5--7--8------------
-5--6--8------------
-6--8---------------

C major scale:
--------------------
--------------------
--------------------
-7--9---10----------
-7--8---10----------
-8--10--------------

D major scale:

---------------------
---------------------
---------------------
-9---10--12----------
-9---9---12----------
-10--12--------------

E major scale:

-----------------
-----------------
-----------------
-11--13--14-----
-11--12--14-----
-12--14---------
Click to expand...

The G, A, and B scale need to be raised up one fret (one half step) the rest are correct.

an F major would look like this

-----------------
-----------------
-----------------
-0--2--3--------
-0--1--3--------
-1--3------------


This is my favorite shape for playing major scales every string has three notes and it's an easy shape to remember.

| | |2| |3|4|
| | |6| |7|1|
| |3|4| |5| |
| |7|1| |2| |
|4| |5| |6| |
|1| |2| |3| |
 
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