How to Play C Major Guitar Scales

Video Transcript

"Do you remember when we learned how to play the "C" major scale in our open position? Remember, we started on the third fret of the "A" string. With our third finger, we played the notes that we'd already learned: (singing) "C", "D", "E", "F", "G", "A", "B", "C" or "do, re, mi, fa, sol, la, ti do". Now, if we wanted to go up another octave from here: (singing) "C", "D", "E", "F", "G"... Well now we'd have to move up to the "A" on the high "E" string: (singing) "A", "B", "C". It's going to be tricky. But as we say, we want to limit our movement on guitar so we can play more accurately. So what we want to do here is find out another way of playing "C" major. Well, watch this. Remember, this was "E", "F" and "G", whole step for "A", whole step for "B", half step for "C". If we start playing the eighth fret of the low "E" string, this "C", with our second finger, watch this pattern: eighth fret, tenth fret with our fourth finger, seventh with our first finger, eighth with our second, tenth with our fourth, first on the seventh, ninth, tenth. So if you keep your fingers in a grid like this where your first is (sic) second is always playing the eighth fret, your fourth is playing the tenth and your first the seventh... Watch. So now let's just talk about the frets. (Playing scale) Eight, ten, seven, eight, ten, seven, nine, ten, seven, nine, ten, eight, ten, seven, eight. That's two octaves of the "C" major scale."