The C Major Scale for Guitar
The C major scale is C, D, E, F, G, A and B: seven natural notes, no sharps or flats. That makes it the reference point for the rest of music theory.
On the guitar, find the root at the 8th fret of the low E string or the 3rd fret of the A string. A minor holds exactly the same notes, so whatever you learn here also works as an A minor scale. For the open-string version, try open position major scales.
Play the C major scale
Use the step menu in the player to switch between the single-string run and the box shapes.
Notes of the C major scale
| Note | Degree | Interval | Semitones from root |
|---|---|---|---|
| C | 1 | Root | 0 |
| D | 2 | Major 2nd | 2 |
| E | 3 | Major 3rd | 4 |
| F | 4 | Perfect 4th | 5 |
| G | 5 | Perfect 5th | 7 |
| A | 6 | Major 6th | 9 |
| B | 7 | Major 7th | 11 |
Structure
C major scale notes:
How the major scale is built:
The major scale is built from the degrees 1 2 3 4 5 6 7, which gives the step pattern W-W-H-W-W-W-H (W = whole step, H = half step).
Counting in semitones from the root: 0, 2, 4, 5, 7, 9, 11. That makes it a 7-note scale.
It is the parent scale of its own modal family.
It is also known as Ionian.
C Major Scale Guitar Patterns
Static diagrams of every position shown in the player above.
On one string (B)
Box pattern — position 1
Box pattern — position 2
Box pattern — position 3
Box pattern — position 4
Box pattern — position 5
3 notes per string — position 1
3 notes per string — position 2
3 notes per string — position 3
3 notes per string — position 4
3 notes per string — position 5
Chords in the C major scale
Stacking thirds on each degree of the scale gives these chords.
Related modes
These scales share the same notes as the major scale, starting from a different degree.
The major scale in other keys
Created by
Giancarlo is a musician (teaching guitar since 2000), software engineer, AI consultant and published researcher
