One String Scales II

Continuing on from Part I, let's examine our One String Scales further with our new knowledge.

If you've learned your Intervals, then we're ready to express our Scales in Intervallic terms as well.

Let's take a look at the Major Scale in terms of steps, and intervals used.

Major Scale:

WWHWWWH

Root (W) Major 2nd (W) Major 3rd (H) Perfect 4th (W) Perfect 5th (W) Major 6th (W) Major 7th (H) Octave

Try walking up and down the scale on one string. Choose a fret partway up the fretboard so that you can move below the root as well!

• The 1st time, listing off Whole Steps and Half Steps.

• The 2nd time listing off the Intervals being played.

• The 3rd time naming the notes.

• Bonus - Try going over the Major Scale again while omitting the 4th and 7th. This produces the Major Pentatonic!

Our goal with this process is to build our intuitive sense of interval distances and scale shapes, and to begin memorizing the names of notes on the fretboard, so take this seriously!

Go slowly, and really try to get this stuff into your fingers and memory. It will take time, but it will pay off.

Once you're satisfied, move on to the Minor Scale.

Minor Scale:

WHWWHWW

Root (W) Major 2nd (H) Minor 3rd (W) Perfect 4th (W) Perfect 5th (H) Minor 6th (W) Minor 7th (W) Octave

Repeat the process:

• The 1st time, listing off Whole Steps and Half Steps.

• The 2nd time listing off the Intervals being played.

• The 3rd time naming the notes.

• Bonus - Omit the 2nd and 6th to produce the Minor Pentatonic.

Treat this as a quick exercise you can do anytime.

If you keep challenging yourself to locate the nearby intervals of a note, and working to recall the names, eventually it will become second nature. Keep at it!