Scales
Pick a key and a scale (major, natural minor, major pentatonic or minor pentatonic) to see its five patterns on the whole fretboard. Tick the patterns you want to see, and watch where neighbouring patterns overlap. The root note is amber. Diagrams follow the left- or right-handed setting at the top of the page.
Choose a key and a scale
C major scale
- Root note
- Split ring: a note shared by two ticked patterns
- Shaded columns: where two ticked patterns overlap
Drawn for left-handed players: the thickest string (low E) is at the bottom, with the nut on the right.Drawn for right-handed players: the thickest string (low E) is at the bottom, with the nut on the left.
Pattern positions, in order up the neck
How to use the tool
- Choose a key, then choose Major, Natural minor, Major pentatonic or Minor pentatonic. The notes and the root note change straight away.
- Tick one pattern to see where it sits on the neck. Tick two neighbouring patterns to see the notes they share, drawn as split rings inside shaded columns.
- Read the list under the fretboard to see which frets each pattern covers and where each one overlaps the next.
- Use the links under the list to open the full page for that scale, with fingers for every pattern.
About the overlaps
The fretboard in this tool is the same one used in the "See how the patterns overlap" section on every scale page, for example the C major scale page. A minor scale uses the same five patterns as its relative major, with the root note in a different place. The pentatonic scales have their own five patterns, and a minor pentatonic uses the same shapes as its relative major pentatonic. You can browse all the scale pages on the Guitar Scales page.