Scale of the Month - December 2007 – A Ionian (Major) Scale

Scale of the Month - December 2007 – A Ionian (Major) Scale

The Scale

There are many ways in which to play an A Major scale, but we’ll stick with the 5th fret box position used over the last few months:

Ascending
E|---------------------------------------------4--5------------------
B|--------------------------------------5--7-------------------------
G|----------------------------4--6--7--------------------------------
D|------------------4--6--7------------------------------------------
A|--------4--5--7----------------------------------------------------
E|--5--7-------------------------------------------------------------

Descending
E|--5--4-------------------------------------------------------------
B|---------7--5------------------------------------------------------
G|----------------7--6--4--------------------------------------------
D|--------------------------7--6--4----------------------------------
A|------------------------------------7--5--4------------------------
E|-----------------------------------------------7--5----------------

The Theory

You are already familiar with a Major scale. Remember ‘do, re, mi, fa, so, la, ti, do’? That’s a major scale. It is the foundation of Western music. Also known as the Ionian mode, this is probably the most recognisable of all scales. Its intervallic formula is 'WWHWWWH' (W Whole tone or 2 frets, H = Half tone or 1 fret).

A great deal of popular music, and pretty much every nursery rhyme or child's song is a major scale melody. Few are actually 'Ionian' – implying a modal sound.


Some Example licks (Tab symbol key below)

1) Legato

E|--7/9-p-7-p-5---------------------------------------------------
B|-----------------9-p-7-p-5--------------------------------------
G|-----------------------------9--6-h-7-p-6-----------------------
D|---------------------------------------------9--7~~~-----------
A|-----------------------------------------------------------------
E|-----------------------------------------------------------------

2) Tapping

E|---------5-7-9-t10p9p7p5t10p9p7p5t12p9p7p5-----------------------------------
B|--5-7-9--------------------------------------------9-7-5-----------------------
G|-----------------------------------------------------------9p7p6h7h9-14~~----
D|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
E|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

3) Sweep Picking:

E|------------9-h-12-p-9-----------------5-h-9-p-5--------------4-h-7-p-4---------------
B|---------10------------10-------------7-----------7-----------5------------5-----------
G|-------9------------------9----------6--------------6--------4---------------4---------
D|----11---------------------11------7-----------------7-----6------------------6--------
A|-12---------------------------12--9--------------------9-7----------------------7-4----
E|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


4) Hammers and Pulls

E|---------5---------------------5-h-9-p-5----------------------------
B|--5-h-7-----------5-------------------------------------------------
G|------------6-h-7----7/9~~--------------9--6----7~~~-------------
D|---------------------------------------------------------------------
A|---------------------------------------------------------------------
E|---------------------------------------------------------------------


Hammer ons: h.
Pull offs: p.
Vibrato: ~.
Bends: b.
Release bend: br.
Tap: t.
Slides: / or \ depending on direction.


Full Access Subscribers can access more lessons in the Ionian Mode at www.guitartricks.com – including:

http://www.guitartricks.com/lesson.php?input=10741
http://www.guitartricks.com/lesson.php?input=11128
http://www.guitartricks.com/lesson.php?input=11024
http://www.guitartricks.com/lesson.php?input=9372


Private Message me using the links above and tell me which scale should be Scale of the Month for January... Merry Christmas Everyone!