Scales
The A major scale has seven notes: A, B, C#, D, E, F#, G#. Choose a position below to see where those notes sit on different parts of the neck. Diagrams follow the left- or right-handed setting at the top of the page.
Choose a position
Open position
The easiest place to start. The open strings do part of the work, so your fingers only need the first four frets. Use the finger with the same number as the fret: index on the 1st fret, middle on the 2nd, ring on the 3rd, pinky on the 4th.
Where to find A: the open A string and the 2nd fret of the G string.
Notes on each string, low to high: Low E: E F# G# · A: A B C# · D: D E F# · G: G# A B · B: C# D · High e: E F# G#
2nd position
This box covers frets 1 to 6, six frets wide. Start with your first finger on fret 1 and use one finger per fret, up to your pinky on fret 4. Then shift your hand up to reach the last two frets of the box. It overlaps its neighbours, so the notes will feel familiar.
Where to find A: the 5th fret of the low E string, the 2nd fret of the G string, and the 5th fret of the high e string.
Notes on each string, low to high: Low E: F# G# A · A: B C# D · D: E F# · G: G# A B C# · B: C# D E · High e: F# G# A
4th position
This box covers frets 4 to 8, five frets wide. Start with your first finger on fret 4 and use one finger per fret, up to your pinky on fret 7. To reach the fifth fret of the box, stretch your pinky or shift your hand by one fret. It overlaps its neighbours, so the notes will feel familiar.
Where to find A: the 5th fret of the low E string, the 7th fret of the D string, and the 5th fret of the high e string.
Notes on each string, low to high: Low E: G# A B · A: C# D E · D: F# G# A · G: B C# D · B: E F# · High e: G# A B
6th position
This box covers frets 6 to 10, five frets wide. Start with your first finger on fret 6 and use one finger per fret, up to your pinky on fret 9. To reach the fifth fret of the box, stretch your pinky or shift your hand by one fret. It overlaps its neighbours, so the notes will feel familiar.
Where to find A: the 7th fret of the D string and the 10th fret of the B string.
Notes on each string, low to high: Low E: B C# D · A: E F# · D: G# A B · G: C# D E · B: F# G# A · High e: B C# D
8th position
This box covers frets 8 to 12, five frets wide. Start with your first finger on fret 8 and use one finger per fret, up to your pinky on fret 11. To reach the fifth fret of the box, stretch your pinky or shift your hand by one fret. It overlaps its neighbours, so the notes will feel familiar.
Where to find A: the 12th fret of the A string and the 10th fret of the B string.
Notes on each string, low to high: Low E: C# D E · A: F# G# A · D: B C# D · G: E F# · B: G# A B · High e: C# D E
10th position
This box covers frets 11 to 15, five frets wide. Start with your first finger on fret 11 and use one finger per fret, up to your pinky on fret 14. To reach the fifth fret of the box, stretch your pinky or shift your hand by one fret. It overlaps its neighbours, so the notes will feel familiar.
Where to find A: the 12th fret of the A string and the 14th fret of the G string.
Notes on each string, low to high: Low E: E F# · A: G# A B · D: C# D E · G: F# G# A · B: B C# D · High e: E F#
12th position
This box covers frets 13 to 17, five frets wide. Start with your first finger on fret 13 and use one finger per fret, up to your pinky on fret 16. To reach the fifth fret of the box, stretch your pinky or shift your hand by one fret. It overlaps its neighbours, so the notes will feel familiar.
Where to find A: the 17th fret of the low E string, the 14th fret of the G string, and the 17th fret of the high e string.
Notes on each string, low to high: Low E: F# G# A · A: B C# D · D: E F# · G: G# A B · B: C# D E · High e: F# G# A
- A, the root note
- Other notes in the scale
- Open string
- 1fr, 2fr and so on are fret numbers
Drawn for left-handed players: the thickest string (low E) is on the right.Drawn for right-handed players: the thickest string (low E) is on the left.
How the positions fit together
Each position overlaps its neighbours. Together, these seven positions cover the neck from the open strings up to the 17th fret. The scale pattern repeats at the 12th fret, one octave higher.
Practice tips
- Start with open position. Move up one position at a time once the last one feels comfortable.
- In every position above open, use one finger per fret: first finger on the first fret of the box, up to your pinky on the fourth. Stretch or shift your hand for any notes beyond that.
- Play slowly. Start at 60 bpm, one note per click, up and down for 5 minutes in each position.
- Say each note name out loud as you play it, and use the amber A notes as landmarks.
Other major scales
A# / Bb (Coming soon) · B (Coming soon) · C · C# / Db (Coming soon) · D (Coming soon) · D# / Eb (Coming soon) · E (Coming soon) · F (Coming soon) · F# (Coming soon) · G (Coming soon) · G# / Ab (Coming soon)