Major Scale Basics - Patterns 1-4 Video Transcription

Hello, friends, Chris with beginningguitaronline.com. Today we're talking about scale basics. The one beautiful thing about guitar, more than any other instrument out there, is our ability to use patterns on our instrument to play in multiple keys. What I mean by this is with just one finger pattern, we're able to play through all 12 keys in the musical universe.

This is a real difficult feat for just about every other instrument out there except for the human voice. And even vocalists can't sing in all 12 keys.

Our first of the transposable patterns begins on the third string, our first finger is placed on the second fret. We're technically in the second position. Position on guitar is determined by which fret your index finger is lined up with. So, you can see, the second position lines up with the second fret, any other higher positions, your index finger lines up with those.

Pattern #1 - A Major

We're starting with the first finger on A. Let's talk through our pattern together. One, three, then we're switching strings. Next string, one, two, four. Next string, one, three, four. Coming back down, four, three, one, four, two, one. Final string, three, one.

We're back home and on our root note. Let's play through it together. One, two, ready, play. And here, we get a better view of my left hand playing Pattern Number 1 in A major. One, two, ready, play.

Pattern #2 - E Major

Let's talk through the finger pattern together. Beginning with our second finger on the second fret of the fourth string, it's two, four.

Next string, one, two, four. Then I'm going to do a small shift with my first finger and place it on the second fret of the second string, one, three, four. Coming back down, four, three, one. Now my pinky reaches to the B, the fourth fret on the third string, four, two, one.

Next string, four, two. Let's play it all together. One, two, ready, play. And here, we get a closer view of Pattern Number 2 in E major. One, two, ready, play.

Pattern #3 - C Major

We're starting with our second finger on the third fret of the fifth string, the root note is C. Let's talk through the pattern.

Two, four, then on the next string, one, two, four. Then the next string, one, three, four. We're coming back down, now our pinky's beginning on C which is found on the fifth fret of the third string, back down the pattern, four, three, one. Next string, four, two, one.

And then the final string, four, two, and we're back home to the C on the A string. Let's play through it together. One, two, ready, play. And here, we get a closer view of Pattern Number 3 in C major. One, two, ready, play.

Pattern #4 - G Major

So we're going to talk through the pattern here, and then we'll play it. The second finger begins on the third fret of the sixth string, two, four.

Next string, one, two, four. Next string, one, three, four. Back down, four, three, one, four, two, one, four, two. Let's play through it together.

One, two, ready, play. And here we get a closer look at Pattern Number 4 in G major. One, two, ready, play.

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