Fingering The Major Scale (Moveable)

More generally, we can play a major scale on guitar for any key by using the following movable patterns, which are to be memorized.

The numbers in the circles below refer to which finger you should use to hold down the string:

• 1=index
• 2=middle
• 3=ring
• 4=little finger/pinky

Make sure you use the right fingering.

FINGERING FOR ROOT NOTE ON 5^TH STRING:

This pattern can be used when the root note of the major scale falls anywhere on the 5^th string.

For example, if you wanted to play a D major scale, the pattern would start at the 5^th string, 5^th fret, which is the note D.

FINGERING FOR ROOT NOTE ON 6^TH STRING:

This pattern can be used when the root note of the major scale falls anywhere on the 6^th string.

For example, if you wanted to play an A major scale, the pattern would start at the 5^th fret, 6^th string, which is the note A.

If you wanted to play the scale of D major, you would start at the 10^th fret, 6^th string, since this is the note D.

In fact, we can play any major scale in any position along the fingerboard, as long as we start on the root note and follow the step pattern of the scale. The notes will just repeat themselves along the entire fingerboard.