Guitar Scales

When considering different approaches to the guitar fretboard, it is helpful to understand scales. The three-on-a-string system, Berklee method, and CAGED method are ways to organize the fretboard into patterns of scales and chords. But what is a scale, exactly? 

A scale is a sequence of notes arranged in ascending or descending order by pitch. A pitch can be thought of as a set of frequencies or wavelengths. In other words, a scale is a sequence of specific frequencies. 

When we assign letter names to this sequence, we get a kind of musical alphabet. In music, we use the letters A through G as well as the symbols ♯ (sharp) and ♭(flat) to name notes. 

The distance between notes defines different scales. In Western music, we refer to half steps and whole steps. The chromatic scale is built from twelve half steps. From the chromatic scale, we get major and minor scales as well as other modes.

Knowing scales as well as different approaches to the fretboard can help one explore possibilities on the instrument.

Check out the previous blog entry on fretboard methods for more. 



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