Scales and Arpeggios Primer

Scales and Arpeggios for Guitarists (Primer)

Sungmin Shin 2

Scale Theory Basics

Major Scale Formula

Tone - Tone - Semitone - Tone - Tone - Tone - Semitone (T-T-S-T-T-T-S) Whole - Whole - Half - Whole - Whole - Whole - Half (W-W-H-W-W-W-H)

Scale Degrees

1st = Tonic = Do 2nd = Supertonic = Re 3rd = Mediant = Mi 4th = Subdominant = Fa 5th = Dominant = Sol 6th = Submediant = La 7th = Leading Tone = Ti 8th = Tonic = Do

[Title] C[Subtitle] Major Scale [Composer] [Arranger] W W H W W W H œ œ œ & œ œ œ œ œ Solfège Do Re Mi Fa Sol La Ti Do 2 ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ Scale Degrees 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 & ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑

19 Major Scale Along a Single String ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ Solfège& Do Re Mi Fa Sol La Ti Do

28 ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ Scale Degrees & 1 ∑ 2 3 ∑ 4 5 ∑ 6 ∑ 7 8 Fret Numbers II IV V VII IX XI XII

Key Signatures

Order of Sharps - F# - C# - G# - D# - A# - E# - B# Father Charles Goes Down And Ends Battle

Order of Flats - Bb - Eb - Ab - Db - Gb - Cb - Fb Battle Ends And Down Goes Charles Father

C major/A minor - no sharps or flats! G major/E minor - 1 sharp (F#) F major/D minor - 1 flat (Bb) D major/B minor - 2 sharps (F# - C#) Bb major/G minor - 2 flats (Bb - Eb) A major/F# minor - 3 sharps (F# - C# - G#) Eb major/C minor - 3 flats (Bb - Eb - Ab) E major/C# minor - 4 sharps (F# - C# - G# - D#) Ab major/F minor - 4 flats (Bb - Eb - Ab - Db) B major/G# minor - 5 sharps (F# - C# - G# - D# - A#) Db major/Bb minor - 5 flats (Bb - Eb - Ab - Db - Gb) F# major/D# minor - 6 sharps (F# - C# - G# - D# - A# - E#) Gb major/Eb minor - 6 flats (Bb - Eb - Ab - Db - Gb - Cb) C# major/A# minor - 7 sharps (F# - C# - G# - D# - A# - E# - B#) Cb major/Ab minor - 7 flats (Bb - Eb - Ab - Db - Gb - Cb - Fb)

• These have been arranged in the order of increasing number of accidentals (sharps and flats) • Notice that three pairs overlap (B/Cb, Db/C#, and F#/Gb) • Sharp Keys - Go half step above the final sharp in the key signature • Flat Keys - The 2nd to last flat in the key signature • Exceptions - C major and F major

Mode Theory Basics - Relative vs. Parallel

Relative Modes of C major

1 - C Ionian

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

2 - D Dorian 1 2 b3 4 5 6 b7 8

3 - E Phrygian 1 b2 b3 4 5 b6 b7 8

4 - F Lydian 1 2 3 #4 5 6 7 8

5 - G Mixolydian 1 2 3 4 5 6 b7 8

6 - A Aeolian 1 2 b3 4 5 b6 b7 8

7 - B Locrian

1 b2 b3 4 b5 b6 b7 8

Parallel Modes with C as Tonic

1 - C Ionian Major Scale 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

2 - C Dorian Minor Scale with #6 1 2 b3 4 5 6 b7 8

3 - C Phrygian Minor Scale with b2 1 b2 b3 4 5 b6 b7 8

4 - C Lydian Major Scale with #4 1 2 3 #4 5 6 7 8

5 - C Mixolydian Major Scale with b7 1 2 3 4 5 6 b7 8

6 - C Aeolian Minor Scale 1 2 b3 4 5 b6 b7 8

7 - C Locrian Minor Scale with b2 b5 1 b2 b3 4 b5 b6 b7 8 6

Basic Scales for Improvisation

Major *Ionian 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 *Pentatonic (Major) 1 - 2 - 3 - 5 - 6 *Blues (Major) 1 - 2 - #2 - 3 - 5 - 6

Dominant *Mixolydian 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - b7

**Pentatonic (Major), Blues (Major), Pentatonic (Minor), and Blues (Minor)

Minor *Dorian 1 - 2 - b3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - b7 *Pentatonic (Minor) 1 - b3 - 4 - 5 - b7 *Blues (Minor) 1 - b3 - 4 - #4 - 5 - b7

Practice Sequence (for 7 note scales) *play scales up and down single strings *then create scales shape by ﬁlling in the octave shapes on the following page *play scale up & down + down & up *try jumping back and forth from tonic to each of the scale degrees

1) Scale - 5 notes (1-2-3-4-5) 2) Arpeggio - Triad (1-3-5) 3) Scale - 8ve (1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8) 4) Arpeggio - Triad (8ve) (1-3-5-8) 5) Arpeggio - 7th (1-3-5-7) 6) Arpeggio - 7th (8ve) (1-3-5-7-8) 7) Scale - 9th (1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9) 8) Arpeggio - 9th (1-3-5-7-9) 9) Up Scale + Down Arpeggio - 9th 10) Up Arpeggio + Down Scale - 9th

Octave Groupings by String Sets

6 - 4

6 - 3

5 - 3

5 - 2

4 - 2

4 - 1

3 - 1