I am taking blues course with Anders and major scales with Chris. Chris uses three patterns for major but my son who is also learning guitar has his teacher teaching him five major scale patterns, numbering 1 through 5,and they appear to be different from what I am learning from Chris. What is the difference, and why are there two different sets of patterns? Thanks for the help.
Before I get into the specific answers to your questions it might be beneficial for you to work through this tutorial on the basics of the major scale.
https://www.guitartricks.com/tutorial.php?input=363
Originally Posted by: rcwilcoxChris uses three patterns for major . . . [/quote]The major scale can be visualized & played in different ways on the guitar because:
1. It's possible to play the same note in more than one place on the guitar.
2. You can play & or repeat any scale all over the guitar.
With that in mind, the most important part for a beginner to know is that they are all just different ways of applying the same basic unit: the scale degrees or intervals of the scale in one octave.
Start with the A major scale:
a (1) - b (2) c# (3) - d (4) - e (5) - f# (6) - g# (7)
That's it. That's the entire collection of notes that form the A major scale. Now, where can you play it on the guitar? Quite a few different place! That's what my 1st major scale patterns tutorials is aimed at teaching. The 3 basic ways to play one octave of the major scale.
https://www.guitartricks.com/tutorial.php?input=453
The next tutorial is aimed at expanding the scale to 2 octaves to cover more of the fretboard.
https://www.guitartricks.com/tutorial.php?input=2643
[quote=rcwilcox]. . . but my son who is also learning guitar has his teacher teaching him five major scale patterns, numbering 1 through 5,and they appear to be different from what I am learning from Chris. What is the difference, and why are there two different sets of patterns?
In order to answer this definitively I'd have to know what those patterns are that your son's teacher is teaching.
If I had to guess I'd say they are probably based on the CAGED system. Which is simply another way to play the same thing I'm teaching: possible shapes the major scale forms on the fretboard.
I prefer to teach the basic unit of the scale first: one octave, how & why it's shaped as it is & how to play it. I do that before covering the fretboard with the shape. Then I expand it across the fretboard.
I teach those 5 shapes in this tutorial. But this is more advanced material.
https://www.guitartricks.com/tutorial.php?input=2619
Hope that helps!
Originally Posted by: rcwilcoxThanks, that was exaclty what was happening, appreciate your help.
You're welcome! Glad it helped!
