On this page, I’ll teach you how to play possibly the most important scale of them all – The Major Scale, using the 5 CAGED scale positions. For each position, there are two diagrams:
Root Notes – R
On the first diagram, you’ll note the Root notes highlighted in Red. It’s essential to remember where these notes are though out each scale position.
The Chord – R 3 5
On the second diagram, you’ll notice the chord that lives inside each scale position. These are highlighted in Blue and are made up of the R 3 and 5. These are also important to remember.
Scale Degrees – R 2 3 4 5 6 7
In both diagrams, you will see all of the scale degrees that make up the major scale. These are R 2 3 4 5 6 7. These are essentially just how we name each note using the Numbered System.
Side Note: I prefer using Scale Degrees in my teaching versus note names, as scale degrees stay the same in every key, where as note names change in every key. That said, in the grand scheme of things, it’s still a good idea to have a handle on the given note names in a specific key.
How To Practice These Scales
Practice these scales one at a time. Play the chord shape first, and then run the scale starting on the lowest root note, playing up to the highest note, back down to the lowest note, and then back up to the lowest root note, before finishing off with the chord again. As you play over each root note, tell yourself “root note”.
This method helps you internalise and visualise where each root note and chord shape fall within the whole scale.
To make it more fun, practice over a backing track, and become familiar with how the Major Scale feels and sounds.
Below are all 5 Major Scale positions as they appear in the CAGED System.
Position 1 Major Scale: E Shape
Position 2 Major Scale: D Shape
Position 3 Major Scale: C Shape
Position 4 Major Scale: A Shape
Position 5 Major Scale: G Shape
The Big Picture – Full Fretboard
Once you have learnt a few individual positions, study the full fretboard and try to see each position and how it links up with the positions either side of it 🙂
