A major chord is comprised of three notes spaced one third apart. They’re created using intervals – steps or tones used to connect one note with the next – between them.
Major chords include the most frequently used major chords such as maj7, maj9 and CM7 (not to be confused with dominant seventh). There is also an added 6th called Maj6 or 6add9. Also featured here is less frequently utilized major thirteenth (Maj13) chord and diminished sixth chords.
G Major Scale Shape
G major is a seven-note major scale that begins and ends on G, its relative minor being E minor. This key can be found in some Romantic music pieces by Domenico Scarlatti such as his 555 keyboard sonatas.
Below, each scale shape is enclosed within its respective chord shape to make remembering its name easy and the root note indicated in red. At first, try playing these chords and scales slowly so you can accurately fret each note using correct finger placement. As soon as you feel more comfortable strumming faster between them with or without using a metronome can also help.
Each pattern shares notes with its counterpart above and below it on the fretboard, making navigating this position easier. Please refer to the far-right diagram for suggested fingering techniques when ascending and descending these scale patterns.
E Major Scale Shape
E Major is the first major chords scale pattern we will discuss here, though its designation as Pattern 1 doesn’t indicate any priority over any of its counterparts; rather it simply follows convention.
As with other scales, this one can be divided into two major tetrachords – four-note segments that follow a 2-2-1 pattern – for easy memory recall. Doing this helps break this scale shape down into manageable chunks.
To play this position of the major chords scale, use your pointer finger to press down on the 3rd string at its 1st fret and fold your middle and ring fingers onto their respective 5th and 4th strings’ second frets; leaving open for strumming the 6th, 2nd and 1st strings respectively. This position connects directly with both C form scale patterns one octave above your starting position as well as G form scale patterns two octaves above this starting position.
C Major Scale Shape
Looking at the C major scale shape is like looking at an open C chord shifted up a fret – this allows your fingers to stay within the first three frets while using index finger for top string notes, middle finger for bottom string notes and ring finger as second fret notes for quick navigation across fretboard.
This pattern of whole steps and half steps appears across all major scale shapes, making them sound very similar. Therefore, memorizing just five scale patterns can help you play any major key with confidence and provide a constant reference point for where notes are located on the fretboard and how you should move your fingers up and down the strings. Plus, keeping this pattern in mind can help build your ear by listening for patterns of tones within each scale you play!
D Major Scale Shape
D major scale shapes offer us yet another set of patterns to form various chords, much like their CAGED sequence counterparts. Additionally, these D major scale patterns connect up and down the fretboard using shared notes – perfect for making chord progressions!
As with other scale shapes, major scales feature an intricate sequence of whole and half steps which form its structure. This pattern consists of two tetrachords (four-note scale segments). The lower tetrachord repeats whole step / whole step; while its counterpart adds another whole step between whole steps 1 and 2.
To illustrate this point, I have created the diagram below. Each fret marks suggested fingerings for playing this scale position; some positions shift slightly so pay close attention to fingerings and move your fingers up and down strings as necessary in order to play all notes within that scale. Once you understand how these scale positions relate to one another it will become easier to apply this same process across other major scales.