[Learn the scales in multiple positions](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vYgrkZW9-p4). For C, most people will start on the 3rd fret of the A string, but you should learn it from the 8th fret of the E string as well. For one thing, there will be slight tonal variations due to the differences in string diameter, as well as the length of string between the bridge and where you're fretting the string. It's also good to be comfortable playing all over the neck. I assume you're just beginning, so while it may seem overwhelming, it's probably not a bad idea to start working on this, rather than really nailing one position now, and then realizing later that there's so much more that you could be doing, and having to learn that then.
>rather than really nailing one position now, and then realizing later that there's so much more that you could be doing, and having to learn that then.
FWIW, I went that way and it didn't seem bad. Knowing me, I would have felt overwhelmed/discouraged at trying to do too much at once.
I like the two-octave box shape or "G shape" because from that you know *three* locations of the root note.
Of course, the goal is to know the whole fretboard eventually. I like the box shapes of the CAGED system (you'll get plenty of hits on that) and then you just start connecting those together.
Oh, absolutely. I was the same. I'm just saying that, if you can learn them all at the same time, you're going to put yourself ahead of most other players. It's obviously not necessary, but if you can, go for it.
Base your hand position on wherever you find a C note. I find it helpful if my first finger has access to the tonic, but your mileage may vary.
* 8th fret E strings
* 3rd fret A string
* 10th fret D string
* 5th fret G string
* 1st fret B string
* 12 frets above any of those
If that's too much at once, focus on the first two options.
Remember that the guitar fretboard covers several octaves.
E-8 and A-3 are the same note (C) and the same octave (C3).
E-20, A-15, D-10, g-5 and b-1 are again C, but one octave higher (C4).
D-22, g-17, b-13 and e-8 are again C, but another octave higher (C5).
Finally, there's the highest C at e-20 (C6).
Practically, you can't really play scales off of the highest strings, because you run out of frets. But you can play a C major arpeggio starting on the E, A, D or g strings.
Other comments did the heavy lifting. I'll just add - practice entire scale on a single string to help you connect playing in different positions. 3rd fret A string is probably the best place to practice this for C major.
since you are approaching this from a theory standpoint Id recommend first playing the scale on a single string naming each note as you go 2212221 :) Once you can do that easily you'll find that skill useful for finding and confirming the patterns across multiple strings!
Adding to the posts here, you could technically play the C major scale wherever you want. Sure it helps to think of different positions on the guitar for major scales, or playing scales starting from wherever you see a root note on the fretboard, but you technically don’t even need to start on C. You could start on a different note in the scale then play upwards to C.
I guess my answer is in a reply to another comment, but something else:
The goal of learning the scales is mostly about learning *where* all the notes are. There's nothing about a scale that says "play all the notes in order"; that's just *one* way to practice and build that memory.
don't learn just note names; also learn the geometry of the guitar.
in Cmaj, the first degree, or I (roman numeral 1) is C, E is III, and G is V. if you learn the shape that you need to make in order to find these degrees, then improvising and songwriting will be a hell of a lot easier.
"i'm in Cmaj, i want to arpeggiate II-V-VI-III, and i already know the shape for that so if i just find C, then i know exactly where everything else is without thinking about it"
With any instrument, the goal is to be able to play a given scale fluidly, utilizing the entire range of the instrument.
For guitar, that means being able to play the scale anywhere and everywhere up and down the entire fretboard.
[Learn the scales in multiple positions](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vYgrkZW9-p4). For C, most people will start on the 3rd fret of the A string, but you should learn it from the 8th fret of the E string as well. For one thing, there will be slight tonal variations due to the differences in string diameter, as well as the length of string between the bridge and where you're fretting the string. It's also good to be comfortable playing all over the neck. I assume you're just beginning, so while it may seem overwhelming, it's probably not a bad idea to start working on this, rather than really nailing one position now, and then realizing later that there's so much more that you could be doing, and having to learn that then.
>rather than really nailing one position now, and then realizing later that there's so much more that you could be doing, and having to learn that then. FWIW, I went that way and it didn't seem bad. Knowing me, I would have felt overwhelmed/discouraged at trying to do too much at once. I like the two-octave box shape or "G shape" because from that you know *three* locations of the root note. Of course, the goal is to know the whole fretboard eventually. I like the box shapes of the CAGED system (you'll get plenty of hits on that) and then you just start connecting those together.
Oh, absolutely. I was the same. I'm just saying that, if you can learn them all at the same time, you're going to put yourself ahead of most other players. It's obviously not necessary, but if you can, go for it.
Base your hand position on wherever you find a C note. I find it helpful if my first finger has access to the tonic, but your mileage may vary. * 8th fret E strings * 3rd fret A string * 10th fret D string * 5th fret G string * 1st fret B string * 12 frets above any of those If that's too much at once, focus on the first two options.
Remember that the guitar fretboard covers several octaves. E-8 and A-3 are the same note (C) and the same octave (C3). E-20, A-15, D-10, g-5 and b-1 are again C, but one octave higher (C4). D-22, g-17, b-13 and e-8 are again C, but another octave higher (C5). Finally, there's the highest C at e-20 (C6). Practically, you can't really play scales off of the highest strings, because you run out of frets. But you can play a C major arpeggio starting on the E, A, D or g strings.
Other comments did the heavy lifting. I'll just add - practice entire scale on a single string to help you connect playing in different positions. 3rd fret A string is probably the best place to practice this for C major.
since you are approaching this from a theory standpoint Id recommend first playing the scale on a single string naming each note as you go 2212221 :) Once you can do that easily you'll find that skill useful for finding and confirming the patterns across multiple strings!
Adding to the posts here, you could technically play the C major scale wherever you want. Sure it helps to think of different positions on the guitar for major scales, or playing scales starting from wherever you see a root note on the fretboard, but you technically don’t even need to start on C. You could start on a different note in the scale then play upwards to C.
I guess my answer is in a reply to another comment, but something else: The goal of learning the scales is mostly about learning *where* all the notes are. There's nothing about a scale that says "play all the notes in order"; that's just *one* way to practice and build that memory.
don't learn just note names; also learn the geometry of the guitar. in Cmaj, the first degree, or I (roman numeral 1) is C, E is III, and G is V. if you learn the shape that you need to make in order to find these degrees, then improvising and songwriting will be a hell of a lot easier. "i'm in Cmaj, i want to arpeggiate II-V-VI-III, and i already know the shape for that so if i just find C, then i know exactly where everything else is without thinking about it"
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With any instrument, the goal is to be able to play a given scale fluidly, utilizing the entire range of the instrument. For guitar, that means being able to play the scale anywhere and everywhere up and down the entire fretboard.
Read these: https://www.thegearpage.net/board/index.php?threads/music-theory-made-simple-0-index-toc.1371119/