The
root
Every scale has a root. This is the basic note that
the scale is named after, and the main note that you should hear
all of the other notes in the scale in relationship to. If you
have an A major scale, then the root is A.
In a scale chart, the root is often indicated in some way. In
the scale chart below the root is indicated by a red oval. It
could be indicate by a different color, or different shape like
a square.
You will notice that there are 3 red ovals in above
scale fingering. There are only so many different notes in any
particular scale fingering before the names of the notes start
over. So all of the notes that are indicated in red have the same
note name, they are just an octave
apart. So the scale pictured here is a 2 octave major scale. From
the root on the 6th string to the root on the 4th string is 1
octave. Then from the 4th string root to the 1st string root is
another octave.
The 6th string, 5th fret is an A note. So playing
the above scale form starting on that note will give you an A
major scale. If you were to play the same scale form started on
the 3rd fret of the 6th string, you would have a G major scale.
In order to understand what the name of a scale will be when played
in a different position, you will need to know what the
names of the notes on the neck of the guitar are.
The root of the scale is not always the lowest note
in a scale form. Technically a scale is suppose to begin and end
on the root note. But on the guitar that is not always feasible.
In a guitar scale fingering you are going to play all of the note
possibilities within one position on the neck of the guitar. Most
of the time this means that the lowest and or the highest note
in the scale form will not be the root of the scale. The most
basic scale forms will start
on the root, but just keep in mind that scale forms will not always
be that way.
Below is a major scale form where the lowest root
note is on the 5th string, and the highest is on the 2nd string.
Even though you may not start on the root note, it is still very
important to know where the roots are within the scale form.
Page 3, Reading vertical scale charts
Page 1, Intro to scales - basic finger exercises
Scale
primer jump zone
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