question about the major scale pdf sheet

[Asle V]

If you look at the pdf practise sheet in Brians major scale theory course, you will find a note that dont belong in the major scale. Is this simply a “turn around note”, for the sake of musical /training purposes? Does it belong there? It is 2nd fret 6th string.

[Asle V]

….. the same goes for 2nd fret 1 string, that is also a F# note…. Just getting a little confused here haha 🙂

[Bob S]

If you are looking at the Major Scale PDF in the key of G, the second fret of the E string(s) is F# as you point out. This is seventh degree of the major scale. In the blues we often play a flat seventh (F), but this then turns the scale into mixolydian.

Hope that helps.
Bob

[Jean-Michel G]

The structure of the Major scale in terms of intervals between scale degrees is: W W H W W W H
or, in terms of intervals with respect to the Tonic (first note): T 2 3 4 5 6 7 (8 = 1)
This should enable you to find all the notes of any major scale.

There is only one major scale that F# does not belong to, and that’s the C major scale (in which we have a regular F). All the other major scales have an F#.

[Duffy P]

All the Sharp major scales (G, D, A, E, B, and F#) have an F# in them. None of the flat major scales do (F, Bb, Eb, Ab, Db, and arguably Gb). It’s true that guitarists tend to favor the Sharp keys, largely because of how the guitar is tuned, which lets us take advantage of open strings. Jazz groups tend to play more in flat keys, because the saxophones and trumpets are easier to play in those keys.

[Jean-Michel G]

Thanks Duffy!
You are of course absolutely correct. In fact I realized last night that I had written a very stupid thing. I am sorry if anyone got confused by this.

I did indeed have the “brighter” major scales in mind when I wrote that (G, D, A, E, B and F#).
But of course there are also “darker” major scales (those that contain flats) that don’t have an F# in them — the F Major scale to begin with!

My apologies once again!

[JohnStrat]

Asle
Brian has been a bit crafty to make you think about it slightly. This is good because it makes your understanding enlarge. I can throw some light on this for you if you have not yet tumbled it. What the PDF shows for the G major scale Practice is a run up the scale then a run down for two whole octaves so the notes for the G scale are:-

It has only one Sharp note which is F#.

G,A,B,C,D,E,F#

But what Brain has done is Start you with the lowest G note on the guitar at the third fret of the 6th string
(Note This is when the guitar is in Standard open tuning. The 6 and thickest string is tuned to E, the 5th is tuned to A, the 4th to D, the third to G, the second to B and the top or thinnest to E)

So what you start playing is the first and lowest whole octave G scale on the guitar … seven notes make the first octave and then it repeats starting now from a G note at the Fith Fret of the fourth string but when you get to the thinnest E string Second fret the note you have arrived at is the F# which obviously is the last note of the second octave before it all starts to repeat. Well Brian continues up the pitch as you rightly say to turn the scale around and so he has included the first two notes from a third octave at frets 3 a G and 5 an A note and then he runs you back down again and this time takes you lower than the start G by one fret which of course is the F# note of the low E string at the second fret. This F# is in fact the last note of the lower octave of which the guitar in regular tune can play and it can only go down in pitch one more note in the G scale to the open Sixth String note of E which is a 6th degree or interval of the Octave below your start point as per the intervals explained by Jean Michel above.
So in short yes it is just a turn around idea as you point out but look at how much more you have now learned because you have thought about it! Cool eh Brian will get you there!
JohnSrtat

[Asle V]

Hey everyone and thanks for interesting answers to my question. So this is more complex than I thought. It is a great learning experience diving into music theory.

I understand that all music comes from the major scale. So by learning this pdf sheet and all the note names is the first I have to do.

I am following Brians music theory course- how would you suggest how to use the major scale further? (I hope you understand my question)

[Jean-Michel G]

Hi,
It’s not that complex, really; what you really have to understand and learn, is the structure of the major scale. This will allow you to write down any specific major scale, and also play any major scale anywhere on the fingerboard. You don’t necessarily have to memorize all the note names for each and every major scale. In fact, I would even say it’s counter-productive because you won’t need that in practice!
For example, let’s write down the Db major scale.
Just start with the Ab note, but write all the other notes as natural notes: Db E F G A B C Db
Now, knowing that the sequence of W’s and H’s must be W W H W W W H, we only ned to look at the notes and correct the intervals with an accidental where needed; that gives Db Eb F Gb Ab Bb C Db
And voilà!

The major scale is the basis of all western music, particularly from a theoretical standpoint. But if you are into rock, blues and country, it may be a little hard to use in practice. The pentatonic scale is usually more appropriate, for two reasons:
1) it’s a major scale without the 4th and 7th degrees, which can be problematic
2) it contains larger intervals, so the risk of sounding too “classical” is reduced compared to the major scale.
For example, the pentatonic version of the Db major scale is: Db Eb F Ab Bb.

Having said that, it is a good idea to practice the major scale. I’d recommend learning the five patterns corresponding to the five CAGED positions; as soon as you know one, start making music with the scale! Don’t take the habit to run the scale up and down: it’s completely useless and even harmful!

Hope this helps. Regards,
JM

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