E Major Scale
- I'm going to start this lesson off with very basic facts. I feel it's very important to be able to pick out a note on the fret board. If you are able to play a specific note in four or five places, you have the ability to stay fresh during solo opportunities. Have you ever felt 'stuck' playing the same licks? Or unable to come up with new riffs? If so, read on... -
FIGURE 1 LISTEN TO IT
E Major Scale:
= ROOT NOTE = NOTES IN SCALE
E A D G B e FILL IN THE NOTE NAMES:
| | | | | | | | | | | |
1 | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | |
2
| | | | | | | | | | | |
3 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | |
4
| | | | | | | | | | | |
5 | | | | | |
e||--------------------------|-----------------------2--|--4--5--------||
B||--------------------------|--------------2--4--5-----|--------------||
G||--------------------------|-----1--2--4--------------|--------------||
D||--------------------1--2--|--4-----------------------|--------------||
A||--------------2--4--------|--------------------------|--------------||
E||--0--2--4--5--------------|--------------------------|--------------||
FILL IN THE NOTE NAMES:
e||--------------------------|-----------------------_--|--_--_--------||
B||--------------------------|--------------_--_--_-----|--------------||
G||--------------------------|-----_--_--_--------------|--------------||
D||--------------------_--_--|--_-----------------------|--------------||
A||--------------_--_--------|--------------------------|--------------||
E||--_--_--_--_--------------|--------------------------|--------------||
You have found three 'E' notes. Let's move up the neck, still concentrating on the E Major Scale...
E Major Scale:
FIGURE 2 LISTEN TO IT
E A D G B e FILL IN THE NOTE NAMES:
| | | | | | | | | | | |
5 | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | |
6 | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | |
7 | |
| | | | | | | | | | | |
8 | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | |
9
e||--------------------------|--------------------5--7--|--9--||
B||--------------------------|--------------7--9--------|-----||
G||--------------------------|-----6--8--9--------------|-----||
D||--------------------6--7--|--9-----------------------|-----||
A||-----------6--7--9--------|--------------------------|-----||
E||--5--7--9-----------------|--------------------------|-----||
FILL IN THE NOTE NAMES:
e||--------------------------|--------------------_--_--|--_--||
B||--------------------------|--------------_--_--------|-----||
G||--------------------------|-----_--_--_--------------|-----||
D||--------------------_--_--|--_-----------------------|-----||
A||-----------_--_--_--------|--------------------------|-----||
E||--_--_--_-----------------|--------------------------|-----||
Now, you know where a total of 5 'E' notes are located. It's now time to move onto the E Major Pentatonic Scale:
FIGURE 3 LISTEN TO IT
E A D G B e FILL IN THE NOTE NAMES:
| | | | | | | | | | | |
1 | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | |
2 | |
| | | | | | | | | | | |
3 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | |
4 | |
| | | | | | | | | | | |
5 | | | | | | | | | |
e||--------------------------|--------0--2--4--------||
B||--------------------------|-----2-----------------||
G||-----------------------1--|--4--------------------||
D||-----------------2--4-----|-----------------------||
A||-----------2--4-----------|-----------------------||
E||--0--2--4-----------------|-----------------------||
That's right, now we'll move to the second location for the E Major Pentatonic Scale...
FIGURE 4 LISTEN TO IT
E A D G B e FILL IN THE NOTE NAMES:
| | | | | | | | | | | |
5 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | |
6 | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | |
7 | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | |
8 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | |
9
e||--------------------------|--------7--9----------||
B||--------------------------|--7--9----------------||
G||--------------------6--9--|----------------------||
D||--------------6--9--------|----------------------||
A||--------7--9--------------|----------------------||
E||--7--9--------------------|----------------------||
The examples covered so far can also be used for finger exercises, building speed, and building strength. Okay, so how does all that apply? It's time to move on to some riffs and you'll understand...
FIGURE 5 LISTEN TO IT
e||-------------------------|-------------------------||
B||-----------------9p---7--|----7-9----7-9\----------||
G||------6~---6/-9----------|--9------9---------------||
D||--6h9--------------------|------------------2------||
A||-------------------------|-------------------------||
E||-------------------------|-------------------------||
Now, we'll move that same riff down the neck. Although you won't notice any real difference in the sound files, you will notice a difference between the two when you play it on your guitar. Give it a try.
FIGURE 6 LISTEN TO IT
e||-----------------4p---2--|--0h2h4--0h2h4\----------||
B||------2~---2/-5----------|-------------------------||
G||--1h4--------------------|-------------------------||
D||-------------------------|------------------2------||
A||-------------------------|-------------------------||
E||-------------------------|-------------------------||
See what I mean about the sound difference? Was it easier to play in either location? Could you play it faster in either location? Let's try another:
FIGURE 7 LISTEN TO IT
e||--4p2p0-4p2p0\------4~----|----------------------||
B||--------------------------|----------------------||
G||--------------2h3h4-------|----------------------||
D||--------------------------|------0-2~------------||
A||--------------------------|--0-2-----------------||
E||--------------------------|----------------------||
And now let's move this one up...
FIGURE 8 LISTEN TO IT
e||---------------------------|--------------------------||
B||--9p7---9p7----------------|--------------------------||
G||------9-----9\-------------|--------------------------||
D||--------------7h8h9/18~----|--------12h14~------------||
A||---------------------------|--12h14-------------------||
E||---------------------------|--------------------------||
I hope you've learned something from this lesson. You might
find that it's easier for you to play in a certain part of the neck, or that
you're faster in one place than another, but you have you practice and get
proficient in a few places. Of course it looks great playing in different
locations. Others might be impressed! I'll leave one more for you:
FIGURE 9 LISTEN TO IT
e||--------------4p2p0-4p2p0---------|-------------------------------||
B||--9p7---9p7-------------------7---|----------7--------------------||
G||------9-----9-------------6-9-----|----9-6-9-------9--------------||
D||--------------------------------6-|--9---------6-9---------12h14~-||
A||----------------------------------|------------------12h14--------||
E||----------------------------------|-------------------------------||
If you have anything you'd like to share, send them to me. Send this lesson to friend.