Types Of Scales

Note: The scales in this lesson are all G scales, but you can move the pattern all the way up the strings. I will use abbreviations for whole step and half step in this lesson. Whole step is represented by 'W', and half step by 'H'. A whole step means to go up 2 frets, and a half step means 1 fret.

Figure 1: Major scales

E-|---------------------------2-3-|-3-2---------------------------|
B-|-----------------------3-5--H--|--H--5-3-----------------------|
G-|-----------------2-4-5--W-W----|----W-W--5-4-2-----------------|
D-|-----------2-4-5--W-H-W--------|--------W-H-W--5-4-2-----------|
A-|-----2-3-5--W-H-W--------------|--------------W-H-W--5-3-2-----|
E-|-3-5--H-W-W--------------------|--------------------W-W-H--5-3-|
     W W                                                     W W

Major scales have the pattern W, W, H, W, W, W, H.

Figure 2: Natural Minor Scales

E-|---------------------------1-3-|-3-1---------------------------|
B-|-----------------------3-4--W--|--W--4-3-----------------------|
G-|-----------------2-3-5--H-W----|----W-H--5-3-2-----------------|
D-|-----------1-3-5--H-W-W--------|--------W-W-H--5-3-1-----------|
A-|-----1-3-5--W-W-W--------------|--------------W-W-W--5-3-1-----|
E-|-3-5--W-W-H--------------------|--------------------H-W-W--5-3-|
     W H                                                     H W

Natural minor scales have the pattern W, H, W, W, H, W, W.

Figure 3: Melodic Minor Scales

E-|---------------------------2-3-|-3-1---------------------------|
B-|-----------------------3-5--H--|--W--4-3-----------------------|
G-|-----------------2-3-5--W-W----|----W-H--5-3-2-----------------|
D-|-----------2-4-5--H-W-W--------|--------W-W-H--5-3-1-----------|
A-|-----1-3-5--W-H-W--------------|--------------W-W-W--5-3-1-----|
E-|-3-5--W-W-W--------------------|--------------------H-W-W--5-3-|
     W H                                                     H W

Melodic minor scales have the ascending pattern W, H, W, W, W, W, H, but have the same descending pattern of natural minor scales.

Figure 4: Harmonic Minor Scales

E-|---------------------------2-3-|-3-2----------------------------|
B-|-----------------------3-4--H--|--H--4-3------------------------|
G-|-----------------2-3-5--H-WH---|----WH-H--5-3-2-----------------|
D-|-----------1-4-5--H-W-W--------|---------W-W-H--5-4-1-----------|
A-|-----1-3-5--|-H-W--------------|---------------W-H-WH-5-3-1-----|
E-|-3-5--W-W-H-WH-----------------|---------------------H-W-W--5-3-|
     W H                                                      H W

Harmonic minor scales have the pattern W H W W H WH H, the WH being a whole step plus a half step, or 3 frets.

Figure 5: Chromatic Scales

E-|---------------------------------------------1-2-3-|
B-|-----------------------------------1-2-3-4-5--H-H--|
G-|---------------------------1-2-3-4--H-H-H-H-H------|
D-|-----------------1-2-3-4-5--H-H-H-H----------------|
A-|-------1-2-3-4-5--H-H-H-H-H------------------------|
E-|-3-4-5--H-H-H-H-H----------------------------------|
     H H H

Chromatic scales are all half steps, so the pattern is H, H, H, H, H, H, H, H, H, H, H.

Figure 6: Whole Tone Scales

E-|-----------------------1-3-|-3-1-----------------------|
B-|-------------------2-4--W--|--W--4-2-------------------|
G-|---------------2-4--W-W----|----W-W--4-2---------------|
D-|---------1-3-5--W-W--------|--------W-W--5-3-1---------|
A-|-----2-4--W-W-W------------|------------W-W-W--4-2-----|
E-|-3-5--W-W------------------|------------------W-W--5-3-|
     W W                                             W W

Whole tone scales only use whole steps, so the pattern is W, W, W, W, W.

Figure 7: Pentonic Scales (A)

E-|---------------------3-|-3---------------------|
B-|-----------------3-5---|---5-3-----------------|
G-|-------------2-5--W-WH-|--|-W--5-2-------------|
D-|---------2-5--|-W------|--WH--W-WH-5-2---------|
A-|-----3-5--|-W-WH-------|----------W-WH-5-3-----|
E-|-3-5--W-W-WH-----------|--------------W-W--5-3-|
     W WH                                   WH W

The first type of pentonic scale uses five notes, and was originally designed for the piano's group of two, and then three black keys. The pattern is W, WH, W, W, WH.

Figure 7: Pentonic Scales (B)

E-|-----------------------2-4-|-4-2-------------------------|
B-|-------------------2-4--W--|--W---4-2--------------------|
G-|---------------1-3--W-WH---|----WH-W---3-1---------------|
D-|----------1--4--W-WH-------|---------WH-W--4--1----------|
A-|-----1--4--WH-W------------|--------------W-WH--4--1-----|
E-|-3-5--WH-W-----------------|-------------------W-WH--5-3-|
     W W                                               W W

The second type of pentonic scale was designed for three, then two black keys. The pattern is W, W, WH, W, WH.

Comments

[wigzwamz]

easy to understand and im first wich is a added bonus

[e-bowie]

No pentatonic Minor?

[JeffBrower]

sorry, i dont know everything

[wigzwamz]

i thout it was penTAtonic not pentonic..... i'm confuzzled

[wigzwamz]

i thout it was penTAtonic not pentonic..... i'm confuzzled

[JeffBrower]

I just figured out that you can't edit lessons... All my mistakes are permanent.

[garamri]

Figure 7 doesn't sound right. playing the chart it sounds like the second interval is a half step.

[JeffBrower]

cwap, just noticed that... i guess 0+2=2

[Mr.poison]

thanks man..

[raw meat]

sweat man or woman. i get it now!!!! thx

[SpecialSteve7]

pretty helpful! I'm a beginner, and this is really the first thing that helped me "get" scales. Thanks!

[theman004]

i don't understand the "WH" inthe pentonic scales

[JeffBrower]

WH is a whole and a half step, so 3 frets

[JeffBrower]

thank you and your welcome, everyone, lol