Guitar Scales | Major Scale and Minor Scale Guitar

Guitar Scales | Major Scale and Minor Scale Guitar

Guitar Scales are part of Music theory and can be implemented and played in other instruments as well e.g. Piano.

To understand the Music we should know what are Guitar Scales and their purpose and how Guitar scales are build?  

We have basic questions in mind such as,

What are Guitar Scales and Guitar Scales types and purpose of Guitar Scales?

How to build Guitar Scales and identify related guitar Notes?

Difference between Major Scale and Minor Scale Guitar?

In this post, we will get answers of all above questions and our major focus is on to clear Guitar scales concept and how you can build scales by your own using different formulas and knowledge of Music theory series. Because, if you are familiar with these concepts then you can build any Scale by your own, this is actually a fruitful learning. 

Guitar Scales Purpose and Understanding:

Take an example of a painter, he is basically painting different mood on the sheet with the help of totally different set of colors.

Guitar scales are just like this; to build a HAPPY feeling we have Major Scale Guitar assuming colors as different notes of same family. And to build a SAD feeling we have Minor Scale Guitar assuming colors as different notes of same family.

So Guitar Scales are playing very important role in Guitar and Music.

·         Guitar Scales are Foundation of Music

·         Melodies are built from Guitar Scales

·         In fact Guitar Chords are also built from Guitar Scales

Guitar Scales: 

Guitar Scales are basically a combination of tones and semi tones of a same family. A normal scale has 7 notes in its family (Assume there are 7 family members of a Scale). Also, Outer note is not allowed in the family.

If you have not gone through Guitar scales basic and Chromatic Scale then please go through it. I have explained both of them very neatly in those posts. Those posts will help you to build your basic on Scale concept. At least the second one as Tone and Semi Tone understanding is required to understand the Scales.

Links provided below,

1.     Guitar Scales | Chromatic Scale and it’s Variation

2.     Guitar Scales| Major Scale, Tone and Semi Tone

If you are already aware of these then let’s continue with the Guitar Scales,

Type of Guitar Scales:

Broadly Guitar Scales are classified into two types,

1. Major Scale Guitar

2. Minor Scale Guitar

1. Major Scale Guitar | Guitar Scales:

Whenever we are thinking of Major scales the first question comes up is What is a Major Scale on Guitar?

Major Scale is a type of Guitar scale with a combination of total 7 Tones and Semi Tones. Why this scale is known as Major scale since gives a happy feeling when played same as major Chord.

Major Scale Guitar Formula:

Major Scale Guitar Formula is W W H W W W H also known as T T S T T T S, both are same.

You need to just remember this formula we will see how to apply this formula to get the Guitar Scale family member in next heading.

Also, to apply this formula you should know what are Tone (Whole Step) and Semi Tones (Half steps). 
If you don’t have much idea please check Guitar Scales | Major Scale, Tone and Semi Tone before proceeding further.

Assuming you are familiar with Tone and Semi Tone let’s move further.

Here, 'W' stands for Whole Step ('T' Tone) and 'H' stands for Half step ('S' Semi Tones).

To remember this formula you can referred as "Wick Was Having White Wine With Him"

C Major Scale family Members and How they are selected?

We have already learnt C major scale in previous post Guitar Scales | Major Scale, Tone and Semi Tone.

C major scale formula W W H W W W H,

Remember only Notes which are passed through the above formula are eligible for a Major Scale Guitar. This is the only way to select family member of a particular Major Scale type.

First Note is always a root note so in case of C major scale root note is C Note and make sure to take the Note name at first place for which you are trying to get the Scale.

Here we are finding the C major scale note so we need to place C note at first place, which is easily possible on B string. As the first fret of B string is C note as per music series.

C major Guitar formula ‘W W H W W W H’ now and keeping eye on the diagram shared above.

Follow below procedure now, hope you will find it really interesting and easy ,

1.       W Step: After C note we need to take a Whole step or we can say Tone (which is a combination of two half step or Semi Tone) we get D note.

2.       W Step: Then after D Note again we need to take a whole step as per formula hence we get E Note.

3.       H Step: After getting E note we need to take half step or Semi Tone which is F note in our case.

4.       W Step: After getting F note we need to take Whole (Tone) step again then we get G Note.

5.       W Step: After getting G Note again we take Whole step (Tone) and hence get A Note.

6.       W Step: After getting A Note again we take Whole step (Tone) and hence get B Note.

7.       H Step: After getting B note we need to take half step or Semi Tone which is C note.

In this way you can create Major Scale Guitar of any type. You just need to remember the Major scale Guitar formula and apply formula on Music theory notes series.

2. Minor Scale Guitar | Guitar Scales:

Now coming to Minor scale Guitar, there is not much difference in between Major scale and Minor Scale on Guitar.

Minor Scale on Guitar is a combination of Total 7 Tone and Semi Tones; it gives a SAD feeling when played.

A Minor Scale (Am Scale) Guitar:

Family members in Am scale as below,

Minor Scale Guitar Formula:

W           H             W           W           H             W           W

Here, W stands for Whole step or Tones and H stands for Half Step or Semi Tones.

Just to remember you can refer it as 'We have whiskey we have white wine'

Guitar Scales | A Minor (Am) Scale Guitar family Members and How they are selected?

Only notes which will pass through the below formula are eligible for A minor (Am) scale Guitar.

First Note is always a root note so in case of A minor scale Guitar root note is A Note and make sure to write the Note name at first place for which you are trying to get the Scale.

We are not going to the variations of Scale as of now, just to clear you the actual concept of Guitar Scales we are just formulated scales in a single line.

Let's apply the Minor Scale formula ‘W H W W H W W and keep an eye on the diagram shared above.

Follow below procedure now, hope you will find it really interesting and easy,

1.       W Step: After A note we need to take a Whole step or we can say Tone (which is a combination of two half steps or Semi Tone) we get B note.

2.       H Step: Then after B Note this time we need to take a half step as per formula hence we get C Note.

3.       W Step: After getting C Note we need to take Whole (Tone) step which is D note.

4.       W Step: After getting D Note we need to take Whole (Tone) step again then we get E Note.

5.       H Step: After getting E Note we take Half step (Semi Tone) and hence get F Note.

6.       W Step: After getting F Note again we take Whole step (Tone) and hence get G Note.

7.       W Step: After getting G Note we need to take Whole step (Tone) which is a repeated A Note.

Hope you have enjoyed learning Guitar scales with Prince and Guitar Scales are clear to you now.

To build and identify any scale (Major scale or Minor scale) family members (Notes) you just need to apply these formulas as stated in this post correctly. Try to build any other Major Scale or Minor Scale by your own now. In case of any difficulty comment and let me know. I will try to answer your queries for sure.

Reiterating again,  if you have not gone through my previous posts on Chromatic Scales and Guitar Scales, Tones and Semi tones then go through it, these are very important lessons to build your Music theory and Guitar Scales concept understanding. 

Links are provided below,

1.     Guitar Scales | ChromaticScale and it’s Variation

2.     Guitar Scales | MajorScale, Tone and Semi Tone

There is Lot more to share, stay in touch!!!

Happy Major Scale and Minor Scale Learning!!!