Part 4: Build and use one major scale · Lesson 030 / 117
Build C major on one string
Connect the major-step pattern to seven familiar letter names.
Start at C on the B string, fret 1. Follow the major-scale steps. The destinations are frets 1, 3, 5, 6, 8, 10, 12 and 13. Name them C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C.
C major needs no sharps or flats. The one-fret gaps occur at E–F and B–C, matching the short gaps you already learned in the natural-note alphabet. This is why this key makes a useful first example.
Keep the movement slow. The long route along one string is for seeing distances clearly, not a demand that you use this fingering for every melody. Later we will put the same notes into a compact area across strings.
Say the note names as you play upwards and then downwards. When you reverse direction, you are using the same notes in reverse, not constructing a different scale.
Hear it
C Major
Audio fileFour-beat count-in · 60 BPM · Warm sampled electric guitar. Listen once before playing along.
A concrete example
B string: 1 C, 3 D, 5 E, 6 F, 8 G, 10 A, 12 B, 13 C.
Try it, slowly
- Play C through F and check the fret gaps.
- Add G through the upper C.
- Play downwards, saying the names rather than only following the fret sequence.
Check one idea
Why are E and F only one fret apart in C major?
Show the explanation
The major-scale pattern requires its first half step between the third and fourth notes. E–F is already a natural semitone pair, so no accidental is needed.
A good place to stop
You can name C major and show where its two half-step gaps occur.
Return to the example after a short break. A clear explanation matters more than speed.