When you play a scale is it just a pattern (or box) you play on the neck of your guitar that comes from visual memory or do you first think of the notes that make up the scale prior to playing them or some kind of mix of both?

When I play a scale it's from 'visual' memory (or feeling) of what the pattern I need to play looks like. I can write down the notes of the scale but I have to think about it for a while.

For instance the C major scale starts at C and then it's 2 half steps so next note is a D and then again 2 half steps then you're at E and then comes half a step so F, etc... And when you give me the notes then I can play them but not as fast as I can play a scale from pattern/visual memory...

I mean, we guitarists, we can simply transpose our scales by moving our hand up and down the neck of our guitar so we don't have to think too hard, but how does a pianist do it?

When a piano player is asked to play the G# major scale he can't just transpose his C major scale like we do so what does he do?

- Does he know how to play each and every major scale (and other scales) from visual memory?
- Does he know by heart the notes to play of that scale and plays them accordingly?