root notes on scales

Hello there!

I've been enjoying LIsa's Guitar Fundamentals course and am working on my first scales.

There's something I'm not quite understanding. Now as I understand it a scale begins on a root note (c for example) and ends on it.

Why ,then, in grid patterns do the scales start and end a few notes before the root note? For example when I go into the scale finder on the Guitar Tricks Tools the C major scale (pattern 4) begins on an E and ends on a G.

Or am I not seeing things correctly?

Anyway, I hope my question is clear, Thanks

Hi. You'll see the root note is hilighted red and has a 1. I think it's showing you all the degrees of the scale in a box form across all the strings. Confusing for sure but I always tried to remember the pattern and start at the root note only. Then you can apply the patterns from whereve you can find the root note and simply shift the pattern by one fret when hit the b-string.

Someone else will probably explain it better, but I recognised this pain.

Hey & welcome to GT! Glad you are enjoying the lessons.

Originally Posted by: pwerky

There's something I'm not quite understanding. Now as I understand it a scale begins on a root note (c for example) and ends on it.[/quote]

Yes. As a conceptual unit you learn what notes and intervals a scale consists of. And then you start to play it from one root note up to the next root, or starting at the higher root note, then down through the scale notes to the lower root note. That helps you understand the essence of a scale. What it is and how it sounds.

C major scale root to root:

c-d-e-f-g-a-b-c

However, any scale can be continued beyond either root note as high or as low as the musical instrument allows.

C major extended below root note:

(a-b-)c-d-e-f-g-a-b-c

C major extended above root note:

c-d-e-f-g-a-b-c(-d-e)

[quote=pwerky]Why ,then, in grid patterns do the scales start and end a few notes before the root note? For example when I go into the scale finder on the Guitar Tricks Tools the C major scale (pattern 4) begins on an E and ends on a G.

Essentially because there are more notes available in that position.

The Scale Finder is a reference tool. It shows you all of the notes of any given scale in one fretboard position. It's possible to play the C major scale notes using notes below the C on the A string, and on notes on the lower E string as well.

The Scale Finder is not a teaching or pedagogical tool. It's simply a reference tool that you can use to find all the notes available.

Finally, in real music you will find that you don't always play an entire scale from root to root and then stop. Usually melodies start and, or stop in the middle of a scale. So it can be handy to know that any given scale extends above and below its root notes.

Hope that helps!

Thank you TinPan for your iput. I'm glad I wasn't the only one wondering about that!

And thank you Christopher Schlegel. I see now that appropriate notes, for want of a better word , are available before or after a given root note.

Anyway back to those scales!

Cheers

Originally Posted by: pwerky

And thank you Christopher Schlegel. I see now that appropriate notes, for want of a better word , are available before or after a given root note.

You're welcome!

You won't always play a whole scale from root to root and then stop in actual music. Melodies often begin or end in the midst of a scale. Knowing that each scale has notes both above and below its base notes might be useful. driving directions

Hello all,

In guitar scale patterns, it's common for the patterns to extend beyond the root note. This is done to provide a full and comprehensive visualization of the scale across the fretboard, allowing you to play the scale in different positions and octaves.

When you see a scale pattern starting a few notes before the root note, it means that you can begin playing the scale from that position and continue up or down the pattern to cover the entire scale. The root note is usually marked or highlighted within the pattern, so you can easily identify it.

For example, in the C major scale pattern 4 you mentioned, starting on E and ending on G, it allows you to play the C major scale starting from that position. By starting on E, you are playing the notes E, F, G, A, B, C, D, E, F, G, which are part of the C major scale. The pattern extends beyond the root note of C to provide a larger context for playing the scale.

It's important to understand that while the pattern may start on a different note, the sequence of notes within the pattern remains consistent with the corresponding scale. So, even though you start on E, you are still playing the notes of the C major scale.

By learning and practicing different scale patterns, you'll gain flexibility and the ability to play scales in various positions on the guitar neck. This helps with improvisation, soloing, and navigating the fretboard more effectively.

I hope this clarifies the concept for you. Keep practicing and exploring the scale patterns.

Understanding that the pattern sequence remains consistent with the corresponding scale, even when starting on a different note, is crucial for effectively using these patterns in improvisation, soloing, and navigating the guitar neck. Thanks for sharing it!

heardle