Note for Beginners; And, Some Points for Everyone

There's nothing in this material that precludes a beginner from using it to full effect. You at least must know how to play the instrument in a fundamental way; just one step beyond only fretting and picking basics. You should be confident enough to play through some figures across the neck; while also being able to absorb the music that you're playing, along with the technique on the frets and strings.

🎵 Our method should not immediately be considered a 100% complete instruction course. Nor is it a replacement for a live instructor; and, is also not complete music instruction (notes, harmony, progressions, functions, etc.). But while we're not going to cover what or how you might play (or how to turn out music from the scales), and, we don't provide organized exercises; still, we do give suggestions in the method that can take you to full success on your own. Our method can be considered complete up to the point of some music to apply what you read: If you at least have some exercises as we suggest, then that's all you'll need. Our method is an authentic and musically sound method. The core musical rudiments are simple; and you will have everything you need to build all the way out to full success, for your own individual musicianship.

The diagrams alone do provide an outstanding way to feel comfortable playing (what you want); in any position, and all along the neck. Any player can simply keep them handy, and take out anything they may visualize there while exercising or playing — even if you only use them to "free up mental resources"; or illuminate something new. Obviously also, you use them simply to learn and finger the scale; and arpeggios, chords, etc., all over the whole neck.

Our breakdown will give you orientations all over these diagrams; in all chords and keys. It will provide what you need to understand how to feel oriented at any position, in any chord (or mode); and also be able to re-orient through changes, and movements; while eventually "rising above" the charts, with confidence on the fretboard.

👉 If you do consider yourself a beginner, then you should learn the scale well, and also become comfortable playing the scale across the neck. We all do learn scales, there is no doubt about that; and we learn them well; and we can simply play through the scale with comfort in any position. But, if you consider looking at a diagram: you'll be able to see that the next note is over on the next string with your first finger, yet still, there is no "anchor" marker on the diagram — no marker is more "important" than any other; and any note may be the most "important" one at any given time (i.e. we don't simply play scales). In the end, you will feel comfortable enough to see the part of the scale or the chord that may be "important", underneath whatever you've just played.

🎵 Since we also don't provide a true fundamental music background, you should also be able to become familiar with the scale's musical construction. That only implies that you should understand "what are" intervals, chords, arpeggios, and scales, from a musical point of view; and then be able to fret those by looking for the musical figures, and not just stopping at the markers on the charts. You only need to have some grasp of the basics, and then those concepts can grow right along with your familiarity on the neck.

You do need good familiarity with the scale and chords for orientations; and that's because fundamentally, some scale, or at least chords, forms some "scaffolding" that links one place to another. So having confidence with those is one important objective. The true goal of the musical outcome is then to develop confidence with orientation on the neck. You want orientation on the neck, in order to play the very varied music. Our method is not one that would try to bring you to the music from the shapes: the shapes are just a toolkit for the fretboard: and, any music. Rest assured that everything can come together in its' own way; and there is nothing "wrong" with studying, or even composing the music with the fretboard in hand, so long as shapes are not where you stop. You'll also see that the music is essential to getting the freedom from the charts; and not feeling "boxed into" shapes.

And as we've said, you will see a lot of diagrams; but they're only showing you everything on the neck, and can never "dictate" what you play. Be sure you understand how to read the diagrams. The numbers on the markers are the degrees of the scale — meaning the notes of the scale; and they are not fingerings. So the number 1 is the root note of the scale. Remember also that the diagrams include a duplicated unison scale tone, between the B and G strings. (The "default" fingering is colored based on the stretch, as described below; and it will be the tone with no stretch.)

Modes and Scales

Modes are not the first thing you must approach with this material — and you can in fact put that off before going ahead and working in any scales, chords, or shapes anywhere on the whole neck. But if you're not familiar with modes, then a quick description is easy to understand. First understand two definitions:

1. 1. The term "scale" describes a particular sequence of intervals. If you simply play any four notes, ascending or descending, then you just played a scale.

   2. The term "mode" is what we use to describe the tonality (or the "sound") of a scale. In other words, playing in any scale puts you in some tonality; or, mode; and it has to do with the sequence of intervals — the distances between each of the notes in order.

So: you may be familiar with the Major scale; and the Minor scale. The Major scale is built from what's called the Diatonic scale (which for now, is really just like two names for the same scale). The Major scale has all Major and Perfect intervals: M2, M3, P4, P5, M6, and M7. And now in fact, the Minor scale comes out of the same Diatonic scale. To lay out the Minor scale, you start playing that same scale, from the 6th scale degree. This gives us the minor sequence of intervals: M2, m3, P4, P5, m6, and m7.

• [Capital M is "Major", lowercase m is "Minor", and P is "Perfect".]

So now we'll see that even if the seven notes are the same notes, the interval sequence will be different when you start at a different note; and then, those two scales have different tonalities. The Diatonic scale with all natural notes is: C D E F G A B C. And: the Major scale: C D E F G A B C; sounds different than the Minor scale: A B C D E F G A; because the sequence of the (same) intervals is not the same.

So this way, you're "constructing" a new scale, from the same sequence of intervals (and even the same notes); yet, they are shifted, when you anchor at a different root note. You then wind up with a different tonality — and that's a different mode.

🎵 It is up you your music to express the root note; and the particular tonality.

😊 Beginners can take a little extra heart here! Notice that the Major and Minor scales sound very different; yet, we now see that they are just the same notes; and only rooted from a different root note. That should seem to "reduce" some complexity; since you can already see two entirely different tonalities, in only the very same notes. The diagrams turn out the very same way: the very same shape appears for the two scales; and you just will be "rooted" at a different marker. This is why the orientations are important: you want to root where you want, feel comfortable wherever you are; and go for the notes from there. That's what our method will break down and provide.

The Minor scale is a Mode; and, it's the "6th mode of the Diatonic scale" (and is named the "Aeolian" mode). (The Major scale is a mode too; and, it is mode 1 of the Diatonic scale, named the "Ionian" mode.)

We can construct a mode by starting on any degree of any scale. And we say that: those scales, are all of the "modes" of that underlying scale.

So to sum this up: a mode is a scale, that is extracted from an underlying scale; by simply rooting on a different scale degree. It yields a unique tonality; and is "just another scale".

Yay may also hear the term "mode" without referring to a particular scale — for example, you could simply be in a "Major mode", or a "Minor mode". But in our context, the mode is always referring to the particular scale.

Coming Full Circle — Diatonically

🎵 There's one more thing we can point out here; and it shouldn't "derail" you with too much information. The Diatonic scale (the Major scale) is constructed from two Tetrachords. A Tetrachord is just a set of four adjacent notes; that are always separated by the intervals of: a "Whole step, a Whole step, and then a Half step". (Remember: a Whole step is two frets; and a Half step is one — and you can move your first finger over to the next string to reach all four of those notes in one position.) So, a "Tetrachord", is just four notes in this sequence.

The first Tetrachord in the Diatonic scale starts on the scale's root note. It is the scale degrees Ⅰ, Ⅱ, Ⅲ, and Ⅳ. From Ⅰ-Ⅱ is a Whole step, from Ⅱ-Ⅲ is a Whole step, and from Ⅲ-Ⅳ is a Half step. The second Tetrachord starts a Whole Step up from there, at the scale's Ⅴ; and it wraps back onto the root note — Ⅴ, Ⅵ, Ⅶ, and Ⅰ. (And there is a Whole Step between the two Tetrachords: between Ⅳ, and Ⅴ.) You should simply see that the pair of repeated Tetrachords leads to a lot of similarity in those two sections of that scale!

Play Along

The Major scale is notated above. It shows the scale degrees, and note names; and it also shows the strings and fingerings, that match up with the Fretboard Diagram. Grab your instrument, and align that Fretboard Diagram with the first fret on your neck. Place your fretting hand in the second position: finger 1 plays fret 2; and your four fingers are at frets 2, 3, 4, and 5. The diagram does show five frets; and the lowest fret (fret 1) would be reached by your first finger with a stretch: your hand would stay in second position, and only your first finger stretches to reach fret 1 (though here, you can play from marker 1 to marker 1 without a stretch). Play through the scale, from marker 1 to marker 1 — beginning on string 5. Your fingering should match the fingers, and the frets and strings in the Tab. See where the notes on the staff appear, at those frets and strings on the neck. Also allow yourself to notice the "shapes" that you play through; as they appear on the diagram.

(You're playing the C Major scale; and you are playing in second position.)

Also: play only the white and black notes from the Diagram: that's the Chord. This will be "the Ⅰ Chord" of the C Major scale: it's a C Major chord. And when you're including the 7, then it's the "Major 7" chord: C Major 7 — "CΔ7". But in full fact: when you play the notes of the chord in sequence like this, you are actually playing the "arpeggio" — the notes of the chord are individually played in a progressive order.

Extra credit: try playing the chord also, like this. Fret the 7 and the 3, on strings 5 and 4, by "barring" with your first finger (lay your first finger across the fret, and fret both notes on both strings with that finger). Add your fourth finger on string 4, to play the 1. You're now fretting three notes of the chord. Now "pluck" the three strings only: you can pluck string 5 with the pick, and pluck strings 4 and 3 with two more fingers, all at the same time. You're playing the three most "characteristic" tones of the Δ7 chord.

XX-Credit: you also adjust the subtleties of your technique. Adjust your grip to fret only the three notes, and to keep the other strings out of play. You do the same with your picking hand; and, you adjust both your grip, and your articulation, to achieve the tone that you desire from just each of the three notes. (Some amount of subtle muting of the other strings may also come into play.) The guitar is very expressive through subtle technique. [Try to achieve a difference between ringing the notes clearly, long, and accurately (in pitch); and, then also adjusting your pressure and attack for a more muted tone, while still having the same accurate pitch.]

The Preamble to the Introduction

Before we begin the Introduction, we'd like to say something about our complete method. The method goes much deeper that what we cover in the introduction, which seems to cover only the seven position shapes. We're going to "go inside" and learn the musical components that build all of the shapes out; and we're also going to break the shapes down that way. Those musical components are going to give you the orientations for your playing: they are musical orientations, which do appear anywhere on the neck; all in and around simple shapes.

The orientations are about feeling comfortable anywhere on the neck; which means, feeling comfortable anywhere in the music. You are then simply somewhere on the neck, in that part of the music where you want to be. And the same comfort will come, when playing through the changes, and the movements, etc.

So we've really added this primarily because the introduction may seem to focus on only the seven anchor shapes. We do want to clearly understand where the shapes come from. They only contain the notes that are already there on the fretboard; yet, all of the notes, in all of the chords and modes too — and so then, all of the musical figures as well. Your goal is to always understand that the shapes simply outline the notes on the fretboard. You should always understand the notes or the musical function that you're playing on the neck; and it's those notes that do happen to form that shape that way.

We don't intend to be repetitive when we reiterate that our goal is in finding the music on the fretboard, and not merely shapes. The charts show you the notes as they lie on the fretboard, and the musical orientations will be revealed in the shapes.

Background: Position Playing

Each of the single-position shape diagrams is a "complete" snapshot of one section of a given scale, at one fretting position (and shows the scale degrees). They are essentially based on, but are not locked into, position-playing. If you are new to position playing, here is a brief explanation.

Playing in position is simply where the fretting hand does not move up or down the neck. Strictly speaking, a position covers four adjacent frets — one for each finger. You may stretch with either the first or fourth finger, to reach another fret; yet the fretting hand still doesn't move out of position.

When looking at the fretting hand on the neck, your playing position is identified by the fret on which the first finger plays. So this way, if the first finger is at the second fret without stretching, you're considered to be in the second position. Your four fretting fingers cover frets two, three, four, and five; and you may stretch to either one or six. So then, each of the position shapes outlines the complete scale over all six strings; in the one position.

Position playing is only one aspect of guitar playing; and we'd like to add something here. First, it is prevalent: it does provide "economy of motion"; and in fact you should understand that the instrument was designed essentially to put six strings within your reach there in one position. And you can see further that the chords are basically fretted based on the single position's reach. We'll add that there's also an "inevitability" to at least one aspect of it: if you simply grip the neck; then now, you are fretting in some position right there! There are worlds of sounds in just one position; and so, a lot of time can be spent there too.

Don't Be Expected to Stay In Position All of the Time

We're going to say in several ways that you're also not expected to always be playing strictly in position. This will become more clear when we cover more substance; but be aware that we're not expecting, nor prescribing, that you will always play in position. It's a fact that many players will actually "shift positions" even when playing only notes that appear in one position Shape; and stretching, and more. And obviously, we expect you to be playing figures that do cross positions. The choices will be yours, and it is dependent on your own context at any particular point in time; and we're really just bringing this up to be sure to remember that you're not expected to be "boxed in" by any shapes: you're going to see past any one shape at any time.

So the "preferred" fingerings are in the traditional positions, which is simply because if you can play your figures that way, then it should be the one with the least stretch and more natural fingerings for you. When you feel you'd want to move out of position, just be sure to keep your musical orientation. You'll also then always arrive at your next note, and you can choose a new orientation there. Let the music come first, for whatever your own reasons may be, and then it's either in or out of position as it so happens to be. The important part about the shapes is that they just show you the notes on the neck — you'll be playing the notes on the fretboard; and they simply reveal the shapes. Play the notes, tones, and articulations that you desire; and gain orientations for confidence.

Duplicate Tones; and Finger Stretches

Almost all of our shape diagrams outline both a finger stretch; and, a "duplicate, unison, scale tone" between the B and G strings.

Duplicate Tones

The duplicated tone is pictured by design. Our diagrams are designed to show you all the notes available in the position; and that's what gives you confidence in remembering an uncontrived shape. The preferred choice of the duplicate tone is simply the one where the finger doesn't stretch. You can note also that when considering simply playing the scale through the duplicate tone; then you simply "omit" the duplicate.

Again, the diagrams can be considered as a "complete" chart; but, the whole shape is still something to take away.

Finger Stretches

Our shape diagrams also cover five frets; and so there is a stretch pictured. There will be only a stretch with either the first or fourth finger — and not both.

In all shapes, the finger that makes the stretch is the one with the fewest notes along that fifth fret. But if they are the same, then the book shifts the diagrams to indicate the preferred stretch. Our diagrams also choose the first finger as the preferred stretch. It’s selected that way by the “traditional approach”; since it’s easier to stretch with the longer first finger, than the shorter fourth.

The shapes are also named this way: the seven Diatonic shapes are named "Shape 1" through "Shape 7". That's based on the scale degree played by the lowest marker on the low E string (or, high E). The shape shown above was Diatonic Shape 7, since the first finger on the low E string plays the seventh scale degree.

The shapes always "link together" in the same order: all seven shapes link up and down along the whole neck (and, in any mode or chord). You can always move from shape to shape, in the same order (which you can also note is always numerical: it's always 1-7, due to the scale tone numbering). So, the seven shapes are always one link in the complete scale; and they cover the whole neck. You'll be able to see that clearly in a whole neck diagram below.

The shape number is a fixed way to name, remember, and identify each shape, in any mode or chord. You can always easily understand that each shape is anchored by the musical numbering — and so the numbers do come from the scale.

Justifying the "Whole Neck"    Always There on the Frets

As we've mentioned, the book also includes diagrams of the whole neck; and one is pictured below. We'd like to add a point here about one viewpoint. It's that you could be led to feel that we're going to prescribe that getting confident on the whole neck is done by learning each section of the scale; and then connecting all of these shapes together to get there.

Instead, our method will go far beyond that, and you will be provided with a lot more substance that is much more versatile than just seven positions: you will have orientation at, within, and through any shapes. But we'll go on for completeness here, and say this even further: instead of considering that a firm grasp of the neck can be done even by taking the neck as a whole — and we do not discount that as well — we'll say that the individual shapes would also be at least one way to do nothing more than form a starting point.

Understanding our complete method will put a firmer perspective on the diagrams; and, musical figures inside of them. It will illuminate a lot more than just "Shapes"; and at the same time, will make them much easier to understand, and reduce them in the end. As we've said also, our goal for you is freedom from any particular "boxed in" shapes. So we'll add two points that also reassure us about the position shapes:

1. 1. Any part of a "long figure" that you might play up or down the neck, will "anchor" in some way at least momentarily.

   2. And if you're looking at a familiarity with "any frets on the neck", then again, they all lay somewhere; and all of these notes wind up outlined by the shapes all of the time on the neck.

So again, you may deliberately observe the shapes; however, it's true that they're always just there on the neck, just by the consequence of the notes on the frets and strings.

Remember too that your own figures that you're playing, are laid out somewhere in or around the scale's Shapes; and the diagrams could be as relevant as you choose!

And Relevant

So let us put a shape's "relevance" into more perspective. Imagine that you're playing a figure that so happens to move through two or more shapes. On the neck, there is more than one way to move musically: we can stay on strings, change strings, shift positions; and play other ways as well.

Well, just there in that choice: the diagrams do show you the scale tones on the frets. Therefore, you could use them to simply help you visualize (or learn) the figure in different places. You might just do that, for instance, in order to select strings to play your desired tone. You can also see the fingerings; and then, where your figure leads in from, and out to, (and etc.)

So this is an example of the many types of things that you might piece together in your own way. There are going to be a lot of valid uses for the diagrams alone, which just have the notes.

Yet a point with more substance is that you're not expected to always be playing deliberately through some shapes. Whether or not you are aware of shapes under what you're playing, you are always just playing the music; and that's even what provides you with the orientations. So if you merely see the notes and go for them, then that's just all you do, and the shapes don't need to play into everything you do.

So the shapes can play into your own orientation in any way you may or may not choose. They will be there on the neck, but you're only going to recall them if you so happen to. When you get them into perspective, they won't seem to be boxy or limited: it's always just those notes on the neck. You're also going to have many other perspectives beyond just these seven positions; and, you will be using the music first; which is what is going to give any shape relevance, and it even has dictated the shape itself.

Partial Shapes    Regular Building Blocks

We've said that you can look for any musical figures, and the shapes are constructed by them. So that means you can find any smaller anchor shape that is just a part of one of the complete shapes.

You can use them to help you outline just the top two or three strings for instance. You can also visualize fingerings that cross between the Shapes. And you can even simply see the intervals on one string.

The highlighted chord line in the diagrams is also probably played quite a lot; so that is another anchor shape with gravity. So is any chord; and, as we've mentioned, any interval, at any distance.

Any other shape with value to you, is also an anchor. You only have to remember that the notes on the fretboard are forming the shape; and that's what you'd be taking out. Musical functions inevitably form some shape, on the strings and frets; and if you happen to repeat a function, then you may just repeat the shape too. The function can also be repeated in an entirely different shape, by starting from a different finger or string; and yet, the smaller facts of the fretboard can still appear and help you too.

Surprising Reduction!

If you take a moment to look back at connecting the top or bottom frets between two Shapes: you will discover that most of the time, when you re-finger past the bottom or top of the position; then you have naturally re-fingered into the joining Shape — which would be at the next scale tone! It's simply because there is a complete anchor Shape at each scale tone; and, since they also include a stretch, then nearly every fret can be fingered in a Shape. We could only add that familiarity with the shapes, would make the best visual anchors! But our method is going to help you understand the smaller orientations that are in there too; and not "carry" large boxy shapes all around.

You can also use a full neck diagram to visualize how you might shift between and through positions (or, find your own anchors), and become familiar through playing. If you keep things in perspective, you will see that it's more of a consternation to worry about "moving shapes around", or, "finding anchors" around a diagram: more freedom from just boxy shapes will be illuminated with our method.

Covering

Let's use the diagram below to see how just the shapes follow along with us, as we play up the neck. Imagine playing a long figure ascending up the neck, and also moving from low strings to high strings: playing a part of the figure using two strings, and then moving up the neck and over two strings at the same time.

Approaching

Notice also that seven shapes do not cover 11 fretting positions — there are seven. Some are offset by a whole tone, and it's just always based on the intervals of the scale. The shapes also overlap. You may find that you've moved shape to shape, or move by two or more; and also, group Shapes (if you want). You may also jump by four frets for example, to move into a fully new section of the neck.

This point can simply be another way to approach the shapes. You can approach the shapes "in any order", and based on anything you might practice or play.

🗝️ You are not expected to have complete shape memory, before discovering one of the many other values.

And you can approach Shapes from different chords, and from different keys too!

Different Keys; Same Shapes, Same Root Note Markers    Always Pertinent

Playing in different keys will result in the same set of shapes, and in the same order; and with the same root note marker in each Shape. The marker with the root note of any key, will always be at the same location in every shape. All of the shapes are then simply shifted to a different fret for your given key. So in other words, all of the connected shapes are shifted up and down the neck, to align with any key's root note.

The seven Shapes outline the complete scale along the whole neck, in any key; linking in the same order, and, with the same root note marker in them. You "shift" the whole neck diagram, so that the number "1" marker is at your key's root note. Or: if you're looking at the neck: then in your position, you find the Shape that has the root note marker that is at the root note of your key.

Restated: The Whole Neck Stays Fixed

To be more clear: in any key, you take the whole neck diagram in mode 1, and shift it so that the "number 1" marker aligns to your key's root note (in mode 1). Then the whole neck diagram doesn't move, for every chord and mode. All of the markers stay fixed along the whole neck. For different chords (or modes), you just change the numbers from there.

Shape Names

Therefore, the names given to the Shapes will hold for any mode or chord: it's just a name for that section of the scale. You only need to know each of the seven shapes, and the fact that they link together in the fixed order.

Summary: 12 Frets, Seven Shapes    Concise; With a Method

And so we come down to a total of seven unique shapes that cover the "whole neck" for the Diatonic scale. And it's the same seven shapes for any key; and any chord and mode, just shifted up or down the neck in your key. Shape 1 is always the same shape; and, it will always outline that same section of the Diatonic scale; and it will always be the same shape for any mode or chord within that Diatonic key. Only the numbers would change based on your mode or chord.

And even though you may change fret positions, or, change keys, or modes; wherever your hand is, it is there at, or one fret away from some Shape.

Details of What's in the Book(s)

All scales are available separately; and many common scales are available. Though the introduction led through the Diatonic scale only, the method is not tied to only one scale.

For any scale, each package always includes our full method. The method gives you all of the musical components: it will include our complete rudiments-up breakdown; and everything that will give you a concise, and confident learning path. It will also include many additional insights and perspectives to help you find even more tools. You will be able to apply our method to your own music; and anything you play.

Then for each package, there is a large book of diagrams for the given scale and instrument (in right-handed* or left-handed format). This book is formatted on large, Tabloid size pages (11" × 17"). It contains full pages of diagrams, in all chords, and all modes for that scale.

* Remember: we consider a "Right-Handed" player as picking with the right; and fretting with the left hand.