The Major Key

The Major Key – All positions of the major scale put together.

This is it! Now that you know every position of the major scale it’s time to put them all together as one big entity. Look closely at the diagram below. See how all the positions and mode patterns interject. Notice that the notes on the right of each of the modes are the same as the notes on the left of the following mode. So all you have to do is match them. Now you must practice them altogether like this so you can easily switch from one box to the next while staying in the same key. It’s really that simple. Also notice how the Ionian and Locrian Modes are together within the same pattern. The same thing happens with the Phrygian and Lydian Modes. We’ve been learning these in the key of G, so that first white note in the Ionian mode is the G at the 6th string 3rd fret. Therefore all the white notes are G’s and all the red notes (5ths) are D’s.

If you were going to play this in the key of A for example. You would match that first white note in the Ionian Mode to the 6th string 5th fret A. In that case all the white notes would be A’s and all the red notes (5ths) would be E’s. Just remember that when you begin further up the neck, you are going to run out of “fingerboard” so the notes will have to be repeated at the bottom end of the neck near the headstock. Basically, you would be playing the modes in order and when you run out of neck, jump back to the beginning of the neck (lower notes) and continue the modes. Remember, they simply keep repeating themselves within the available octaves.