The Ultimate Roadmap

Learn 21 of the Most Commonly

Used Scales in the Shortest Time

Mike Beatham
 Introduction
Scales give us the roadmap for soloing musically over chords and chord
progressions. They allow us to visualise sequences of related notes, in the
form of patterns, that connect with the accompanying music.

But memorising this roadmap on the fretboard can prove a time consuming
and tedious process, especially when you realise that there are a lot of
scales, each with their own unique interval formula, melodic flavour and
related chord type.

Many musicians spend countless hours memorising the notes of every scale
in all 12 keys. As you’ll discover, this isn’t necessary, and using the process
I’m about to show you will improve your spatial awareness of how patterns
and notes relate to one another on the guitar neck - a much more practical
skill that translates into other areas of learning and playing guitar.

In a nutshell, the aim of this booklet is to significantly reduce the time you
spend on learning the roadmap, so you can spend more time on exploring
and making music with scales.

We’ll start by learning the core patterns and, towards the end of the book,
we’ll look more closely at the individual scales these patterns give us,
including the chords they work over.

Remember to try the scales you learn over the chord tracks provided on the
download page.

Thank you for your donation for receipt of this book and thanks also for
your time. I hope this will prove a valuable resource!

Be Yourself On Guitar
Mike Beatham – fretjam.com
 The General Concept
There are convenient systems inherent to music that we can use to make our
learning less time consuming and easier to visualise in our mind and on our
instrument.

While the most common scales can be seen as separate musical expressions
(which indeed they are), they can also be seen as part of a unified system –
a “family” of related notes and patterns.

One of the most commonly referenced scales in music is known simply as the
Major Scale. This is a good place to begin.

But don’t let the name fool you. As well as being a major scale in its own
right, contained within that scale are minor scales, as well as other major
scales.

Let’s take a look at the C Major Scale in a simple “box” pattern…

As you can see, the Major Scale is made up of seven degrees (resulting in
seven notes), which get repeated at each occurrence of its root.

If we were to write out the notes of the C Major Scale, we would get the
following...

C–D–E–F–G–A–B–C

We call it C major, because it begins on the note C (the root or first degree).
This also tells us that C major would be its “root chord” or tonic chord.
But what if we started and ended the scale on its second degree, D in this
example?

D–E–F–G–A–B–C–D

Well, it would still theoretically be considered the C Major Scale, because the
note sequence is exactly the same. We’ve just changed the starting position
to its second degree.

But if we played the scale over a D bass/drone note, matching the D starting
note, we would in fact get a completely new sound. A new seven-note minor
scale called Dorian.

Side note: Use the bass tracks on the download page for this book to
hear how the C major scale changes its sound based on what we play it
over.

We’re using exactly the same pattern, but the focus is now on the pattern’s
second degree.

Continuing, we could start and end the scale on its third degree…

E–F–G–A–B–C–D–E

Again, it could be seen as the C Major Scale, starting on its third note, E.

But if we played it over an E bass/drone note, we’d hear a new scale and a
new sound - E Phrygian.

Starting on the fourth degree…

F–G–A–B–C–D–E–F

If the backing note was F, we’d be playing yet another scale - F Lydian.

Starting on the fifth degree…

G–A–B–C–D–E–F–G
If the backing note was G, we’d be playing a scale called G Mixolydian. A
similar sound to the Major Scale, but slightly different (we’ll examine this
difference later!).

Starting on the sixth degree…

A–B–C–D–E–F–G–A

If the backing note was A, we’d be playing A Natural Minor. Natural Minor
is the most commonly used minor key scale, along with minor pentatonic
(which is itself contained within natural minor). But it still uses the same
pattern and sequence of notes as its related Major Scale.

And finally, starting on the seventh degree…

B–C–D–E–F–G–A–B

If the backing note was B, we’d be playing B Locrian.

Locrian is the “odd one out” because the six other scales are either major or
minor, whereas Locrian is diminished. More on what that means later!

So, we have seven separate scales that have their own unique sounds, but
they are all contained within one “parent scale” - the Major Scale.

This means that the Major Scale pattern can accommodate seven scales in
total (not including pentatonic scales).

So if you learned the Major Scale pattern, you’ll automatically have six other
scales covered!

One pattern = seven scales, each one starting on a different degree of that
pattern.

But of course, we’ll want to be able to play all of these scales on ANY root,
not just their roots relative to C Major.

Let’s take a look at a similar diagram, but this time mark on degree numbers
instead of note letters…
So here we have exactly the same Major Scale pattern. But this time we’ve
marked on the degrees of the scale 1-7. This means we aren’t referencing a
specific root (like we did with C Major before). So the pattern can be
positioned on any root.

In other words, the pattern is movable. Like a formation of soldiers, it moves

to the appropriate fret/root in a fixed pattern.

For example, if the 1 was on A, the scale would be A Major.

If the 1 was on D, the scale would be… yes... D Major.

Like before, each degree of the scale marks the root of a related scale.

If we positioned the 2 on D, for example, and played the pattern from there
(ideally over a D backing note), we’d get D Dorian.

If we instead positioned the 2 on F, and played over an F backing note, we’d

get F Dorian.

The same applies to positioning any of the other degrees on a chosen root.

We’ll look more at these scales individually later. But just to recap the basic
concept...

Each degree marks the “start” of a new scale that uses the same pattern as
its related Major Scale. That’s how we get seven scales from one pattern
(and therefore twenty-one from three! We’ll cover the other two later).

But ideally we’ll want to be free to play any of these scales right across the
neck, in any position, not just confined to that small box pattern...
 The Major Scale Pattern
These seven scales are also referred to as “modes of the Major Scale”. Each
one corresponds to a degree of the parent scale...

1 Ionian (the Major Scale itself)

2 Dorian
3 Phrygian
4 Lydian
5 Mixolydian
6 Aeolian (Natural Minor) and
7 Locrian

Whether we call them modes or scales depends on their application. I won’t

go into that now, as modal music is a separate topic. For now, we’re going to
refer to them as scales, because that is their primary function – a sequence
of pitches that repeat at the octave.

Before, we were referencing C Major as the parent scale. But we can also
derive the same seven scales from D Major, E Major, F Major, G Major etc.

The only difference is, they’ll have different root notes and will therefore be
related to different chord roots and keys.

By learning the major scale pattern starting on all 12 notes, you’ll also have
all 12 root notes for each of its six related scales covered.

That’s not as time consuming as it sounds, because once you learn the core
pattern, you simply move it, in its fixed formation, to the appropriate fret to
get a new root.

In other words, you only have to “hard learn” it once!

This is similar to when you learn barre chords. You might learn to play F
major at the first fret. But you don’t have to re-learn it for F♯ major, G major,
A♭ major etc. you simply move the shape to the appropriate fret… the
appropriate root.

It’s exactly the same with learning these core scale patterns. The pattern
moves with the root to the appropriate fret, related to the chord(s) you’re
playing over.
So, let’s now spend a little time getting to know the core pattern for the
Major Scale and, therefore, its six related scales.

To help us break this down, we’re going to use what are known as scale
positions – seven box patterns similar to the one from earlier that, when
strung together, make up one large pattern covering the entire neck.
This will give you the freedom to play anywhere on the neck.

For this example, we’re going to reference the F♯ (F sharp) Major Scale. This
is only for convenience, because it starts low on the neck and allows us to
see the entire pattern right up the neck in sequence. Later, I’ll show you how
to move this pattern to ANY root.

Let’s start by laying out the degrees of F♯ Major across the 6 th string…

That sequence gives us the F♯ Major Scale.

Each degree in the sequence marks a new position for a box pattern.

Starting with the first position from earlier (root notes marked in red)...

Move along to the next degree for the second position…

 Side note: Try and memorise the root note (in red) positions in each of
these box patterns. It’ll help you to keep your bearings when we later
start connecting them to other scales.

Third degree, third position box pattern…

Fourth degree, fourth position box pattern (overlaps the previous box)...

Fifth degree, fifth position box pattern…

Sixth degree, sixth position box pattern…

And finally, seventh degree, seventh position box pattern…

We’re now at the octave root of the first position, so the sequence of
patterns repeats from there (until you run out of neck!).

Once you’ve memorised these individual position patterns, it’s time to string
them all together into one large pattern. Just follow the position sequence…

Side note: To help memorise this pattern, start by connecting two boxes
at a time (e.g. first and second positions, then second and third, then
third and fourth etc.) then three boxes, then four, until you can play
through the sequence of boxes seamlessly.

That’s our core pattern! Now all we need to do is practice moving it to

different roots. For example...

A Major...
B Major…

D Major…

This is what I meant when I said you only have to “hard learn” the pattern
once. All we’re doing is repositioning the pattern on a new root for the
chord/key we’re playing over/in.

As mentioned before, this core pattern covers six other relative scales.

But how do we know where to position the major scale pattern for, say, C♯ (C
sharp) Dorian or E♭ (E flat) Mixolydian?

We know the pattern will cover these scales, but we just need to know how
to connect the root of the scale we want to play (Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian,
Mixolydian, Natural Minor or Locrian) to the appropriate Major Scale root.

On to the next stage!

Side note: Don’t rush ahead. Make sure you’re confident with playing
this core major scale pattern on different roots before moving on.
 Major Scale Root Connection
I call this “root connection” because, in order to play G, A, C or E♭ Mixolydian
(for example), anywhere on the neck, we need to know where its related
Major Scale root would be positioned, giving us access to the core pattern.

All the root connections are listed in the table below. Don’t worry, I’m not
asking you to memorise this table (phew!), it’s just for a “big picture”
reference…

Each row shows us the notes of the corresponding major scale.

Each column shows us the related mode/scale roots of the corresponding

major scale.

So we can see that, to play G Mixolydian, for example, we’d position the
Major Scale pattern on C.

To play A Mixolydian, we’d position the Major Scale pattern on D.

But as I said, no need to memorise this table. And actually, it’s more
beneficial to have a visual representation of these root connections on the
fretboard... which is what we’re going to look at now.
Let’s start with Dorian, the second mode of the Major Scale.

Dorian

From the position patterns from earlier, we can see Dorian as “starting” on
the second degree or position in the sequence…

Black squares indicate Dorian’s root (or second degree root). Red squares
indicate its related major scale root.

You could call this Dorian’s “root pattern” and it provides a familiar starting
point for a Dorian based solo or lick.

From this position, you can visualise the other related positions in sequence,
based on the large pattern we strung together earlier.

For example, if we wanted to play A Dorian, we’d position that second

position box pattern on A (5th fret) and go from there.

But there’s another way to connect the scale to the parent pattern that
doesn’t require starting in the same box position every time.
Since Dorian is built on the Major Scale’s second degree, its root always lies
one whole step/tone up from its related Major Scale root. That’s the
equivalent of two frets up.

Starting on the 6th and 5th strings…

Therefore, if we first find our Dorian root of A (on any string), all we need to
do is move down two frets to find its related Major Scale root… G.

So to play A Dorian, we can use the G Major pattern...

To play E Dorian, we can use the D Major pattern...

See if you can find the pattern for other Dorian roots based on this whole
step/two fret relationship (no peeking at the table!).

Phrygian

Third mode Phrygian can be seen as starting on the third degree and box
position of the Major Scale…
Again, that’s one way of finding its place within the parent pattern, but
similar to Dorian, it has its own root connection points. On the 6 th and 5th
strings...

Start with the root of the scale/mode you want to play (Phrygian in this case)
and then visualise the root connection to its Major Scale pattern from there.

So to play B Phrygian, we’d use the G Major pattern...

To play A Phrygian, we’d play the F Major pattern…

Lydian

The fourth mode of the Major Scale, so starting on the fourth degree and box
position of the pattern…

Let’s take a look at Lydian’s root connections on 6 th and 5th strings…

To play G Lydian, visualise the D Major Pattern (can you see how the root
connections exist within the larger pattern?)…
For C Lydian, the G Major Pattern…

Mixolydian

The fifth mode. So its “root pattern” is the fifth degree/position...

Mixolydian’s root connections...

For D Mixolydian, visualise the G Major pattern…

For A Mixolydian, the D Major pattern…

Aeolian/Natural Minor

The sixth mode, starting on the sixth degree/position box pattern…

Root connections...

For B Natural Minor, play the D Major pattern…

For E Natural Minor, play the G Major pattern…

Locrian

Finally, the seventh mode, therefore starting on the seventh degree/position

pattern…

As you can see, the Locrian root is only one half step/tone down from its
related Major Scale root. The equivalent of one fret.

This corresponds to the Major Scale’s seventh degree being one half step
down from the first degree.

So, we have two ways to connect our chosen scale/mode with its parent
scale pattern.

One is to start on its related box pattern within the sequence of the parent
scale’s “positions”. The other is to visualise a root connection between the
chosen scale and its parent scale, based on its degree.

Use one or the other, or both! Which one you find easiest depends on how
your brain is wired.
Up until now, we’ve covered the six scales that can be derived from the Major
Scale. So the Major Scale is one of our “parent scales”.

When you’re ready, let’s move on to the second parent scale that gives us
seven more scales – Harmonic Minor.
 Harmonic Minor Scale Pattern
Harmonic Minor, like the Major Scale, has its own seven modes (which, again,
are fundamentally scales in their own right).

We can use exactly the same process as before. Starting with learning the
core pattern and moving on to the position/root connections to this core
pattern for each of its scales.

Like before, let’s start by laying out the degrees of Harmonic Minor along the
6th string, from an F♯ root. Remember this is different from the Major Scale
sequence, because it’s a different scale...

Playing that sequence will give you the F♯ Harmonic Minor scale.

Each degree in the sequence marks a new position for a box pattern. Starting
with the first position…

Spend some time getting to know the sound of Harmonic Minor as a scale
from this first degree pattern.

Move along to the next 6th string degree to get the second position…
Third degree, third position box pattern…

Fourth degree, fourth position box pattern…

Fifth degree, fifth position box pattern…

Sixth degree, sixth position box pattern…

And finally, seventh degree, seventh position box pattern…

We’re now at the octave of the first position, so the sequence of patterns
repeats from there (until you run out of neck!).

Once you’ve memorised these individual position patterns, it’s time to string
them together into one large pattern…

That’s our core pattern learned. Now all we need to do is practice moving it
to different roots.

A Harmonic Minor…
D Harmonic Minor…

And so on.

Just like the Major Scale, this large Harmonic Minor pattern also contains six
other related scales/modes.

But get to know Harmonic Minor as a unique scale in its own right first. You
can use the minor chord backing tracks provided with this book.

Using exactly the same process as before, let’s find out how to connect the
roots of the six related scales to their parent Harmonic Minor pattern.
 Harmonic Min. Root Connection
Starting with our reference table…

(“Phr. Dom.” = Phrygian Dominant. “Ul. Locrian” = Ultra Locrian)

Like before, each row shows us the notes of the parent Harmonic Minor
scale.

Each column shows us the root of the respective mode of its Harmonic Minor
scale. More weird names that go back a long way!

Let’s use the same process we did with the major scale for a more practical
way to connect these scales to the Harmonic Minor pattern.

Locrian ♯6

The second mode of the Harmonic Minor scale. So it begins on the second
degree and box pattern in the sequence from earlier…
Locrian ♯6 has the same whole step root relationship with its parent scale as
Dorian does with its parent, since, like Major, Harmonic Minor’s second
degree is one whole step up from its first.

So for B Locrian ♯6, we’d play the A Harmonic Minor pattern…

For E Locrian ♯6, we’d play the D Harmonic Minor pattern…

Ionian ♯5

The third mode of harmonic minor. As the name suggests, Ionian ♯5 is the
Major Scale/Ionian with its fifth tone sharpened. We’ll look more closely at
the intervals of these scales and how they work over chords towards the end
of this book.

As it’s the third mode, we start on the third degree and position box pattern…

Root connections...

So for C Ionian ♯5, we’d play the A Harmonic Minor pattern…

For F Ionian ♯5, we’d play the D Harmonic Minor pattern…

Dorian ♯4

The fourth mode of harmonic minor, so it begins on Harmonic Minor’s fourth

degree and position box pattern...

Root connections…

So to play D Dorian ♯4, we’d play the A Harmonic Minor pattern…

To play G Dorian ♯4, we’d use the D Harmonic Minor pattern…

Phrygian Dominant

Not to be confused with the third mode of the major scale, Phrygian.
Phrygian Dominant is like a major version of Phrygian (minor).

It’s the fifth mode of Harmonic Minor, so it begins on Harmonic Minor’s fifth
degree and position…

Root connections…

So to play E Phrygian Dominant, we’d use the A Harmonic Minor pattern…

To play A Phrygian Dominant, we’d use the D Harmonic Minor pattern…

Lydian ♯2

The sixth mode of Harmonic Minor. So we begin on the sixth degree and
position box…

Root connections…
So to play F Lydian ♯2, we’d use the A Harmonic Minor pattern…

Ultra Locrian

These names just get stranger! Ultra Locrian is the seventh mode of
Harmonic Minor. Therefore, we can find its root on Harmonic Minor’s seventh
degree and position box pattern…

As you can see, Ultra Locrian’s root is simply one fret down from its harmonic
minor root, the same as the Major Scale’s seventh degree and mode.

So to play G♯ Ultra Locrian, we’d use the A Harmonic Minor pattern…

We now have 14 scales in total from two core patterns – the Major Scale and
Harmonic Minor.
 Melodic Minor Scale Pattern
Another seven-degree, seven-mode parent scale. Melodic Minor has a very
similar pattern to Harmonic Minor and the Major Scale. In fact, there’s only
one note difference between each of them.

Melodic Minor can be seen as the Major Scale with a flat/minor third degree.

Or, it can be seen as Harmonic Minor with a sharp/major sixth degree.

But that single note difference gives us some fresh sounding scales.

Like before, let’s lay out the Melodic Minor scale across the 6 th string, starting
on F♯…

Each degree marks the root of a new box/position pattern. Starting with the
first position…

Once again, get to know the sound of Melodic Minor as a scale by

playing around with this pattern.
Second position…

Third position…

Fourth position…

Fifth position…

Sixth position…
Seventh position, which merges into the first...

We’re now at the octave of the first position, so the sequence of patterns
repeats from there (until you run out of neck!).

Once you’ve memorised these individual position patterns, it’s time to string
them all together into one large pattern. Just follow the sequence of positions
like with the other two parent scales…

Like we did with Major and Harmonic Minor, see if you can position this
pattern on other roots.

Get to know Melodic Minor as a distinct scale. It’s a beautiful minor scale that
will work over minor chords. You’ll hear it used especially frequently in
classical (including film scores) and jazz music (where it’s often called the
“jazz minor scale”).

Once you’re confident with the core pattern, we can move on to connecting
the root of the related scales/modes to their parent Melodic Minor pattern.
 Melodic Min. Root Connection
Starting with our reference table…

(Aug = Augmented, Dom = Dominant, Mixo = Mixolydian, Dim = Diminished)

Once again, let’s look at each of these scales/modes individually and learn
how to connect them to their parent melodic minor pattern.

Dorian ♭9

The second mode of Melodic Minor, so it begins on the second degree and
position pattern…
Remember how the second modes of the Major and Harmonic Minor scales
were a whole step (two frets) up from their parent roots? Well this one’s the
same…

So to play B Dorian ♭9, we’d use the A Melodic Minor pattern…

Lydian Augmented

The third mode, so begins on Melodic Minor’s third degree and position box…

Root connections (same as Harmonic Minor’s third mode)...

So to play C Lydian Augmented, we’d play the A Melodic Minor pattern…

Lydian Dominant

The fourth mode, so begins on Melodic Minor’s fourth degree and box
pattern…

Root connections (same as the fourth modes of the other parent scales)…
So to play D Lydian Dominant, we’d use the A Melodic Minor pattern…

Mixolydian ♭6

The fifth mode. So we begin on the fifth degree and position pattern…

Root connections (same as the fifth modes of the other parent scales)...

So to play E Mixolydian ♭6, we’d use the A Melodic Minor pattern…

Half Diminished

The sixth mode. So we begin on Melodic Minor’s sixth degree and position
box…

Root connections (same as the sixth mode of the Major Scale)…

So to play F♯ Half Diminished, we’d use the A Melodic Minor pattern…

Altered Scale

The seventh mode, so we begin on the seventh degree and position box…
Root connections are the same as the seventh modes for Major and Harmonic
Minor – the Altered Scale root is one fret down from its related Melodic Minor
root.

So if we wanted to play G♯ Altered, we’d use the A Melodic Minor pattern…

That completes our third and final pattern!

We now have the roadmaps for twenty one scales in total. But don’t worry if
you haven’t completely memorised the patterns yet. Take your time and get
to know each of these scales.

To help with this, in the final section, we’re going to take a closer look at
each of these scales and learn which chords they work best over.
 Chord–Scale Connection
Each scale/mode has its own unique interval formula (the spaces between
each note), which creates their distinctive sound.

What we’ll do in a moment is take a closer look at the most commonly used
scales/modes from the three “parents” we’ve learned.

We can categorise these scales into four main chord types – major, minor,
diminished and augmented.

As you’ll see, it’s the intervals that make up the scales that determine their
compatible chord types. In other words, the building blocks of chords are
contained within the scales, so we’re looking for this chord-scale connection
within each scale to show us when we can use them.

As we go through them, I’ll refer back to their box position patterns from
earlier. But as we’ve learned, they connect to their parent scale patterns,
allowing you to play them across the entire neck.

Major Scales
All major scales contain the root (1) major third (3) and perfect fifth (5). In
chord form, this 1 3 5 relationship is known as a major triad – the most basic
type of major chord.

For example, Cmaj is a C major triad, with C as the root. So any of these
scales, starting on C, would be compatible.

All we’re doing is taking the first, third and fifth degrees of the scale to find
its related triad.

The Major Scale / Ionian (parent scale)

The first parent scale we learned, and the most commonly used scale in
major keys. So if a song is in the key of C major, for example, the C Major
Scale would be a good start (including C major pentatonic).

Let’s take a look at how its intervals are formed using its box pattern…
So, we can see that the major scale includes the intervals of a major triad (1,
3, 5), telling us it’s a major scale (if the name wasn’t a giveaway!).

Triad: major – 1,3,5 (e.g. Cmaj)

But it also contains other intervals that extend this major triad, the first being
a seventh chord. As this scale contains a major seventh (7), then we know it
will work over major seventh chords (maj7).

Seventh: major – 1,3,5,7 (e.g. Cmaj7)

You can create related chord shapes from the scale pattern. Try it. Start with
the root (1), then stack up the other tones on other strings – 3, 5, 7. You
can even add further extensions from other intervals in the scale.

Lydian (4th mode of Major Scale)

Sharpen the 4 of the Major Scale and we get the ethereal sounding Lydian…

Nothing has changed in terms of the triad (1,3,5) and seventh (7). But that
♯4, known as an augmented fourth, gives it quite a different sound.
This ♯4 is known as a colour tone. It literally colours the basic triad and
seventh chord. But it may also be included in the chord itself, in which case
Lydian becomes the most suitable scale option.

Get to know the sound of that ♯4 as intimately as you can!

Mixolydian (5th mode of Major Scale)

Going back to our first major scale (Ionian), if we flatten the 7, we get the
bluesy, country sound of Mixolydian…

Although Mixolydian is still a major scale (due to the presence of the 1,3,5
triad), by flattening the 7 (known as a minor seventh or ♭7), we are now
outside major seventh chord territory.

The seventh chord Mixolydian works over is a dominant seventh chord (e.g.
C7).

Triad: major – 1,3,5 (e.g. Cmaj)

Seventh: dominant – 1,3,5,♭7 (e.g. C7, Cdom7)

The only difference between a dominant seventh and major seventh is the
seventh interval has been moved down a semitone (the equivalent of one
fret).

Lydian Dominant (4th mode of Melodic Minor)

The clue is sometimes in the name! Lydian Dominant, like Mixolydian, works
over dominant seventh chords. It’s basically Mixolydian with a
sharp/augmented 4 (♯4).
Triad: major – 1,3,5 (e.g. Cmaj)

Seventh: dominant – 1,3,5,♭7 (e.g. C7, Cdom7)

Like with the major seventh Lydian from earlier, the ♯4 gives it a different
flavour to the more “natural” sounding Mixolydian. A nice alternative to
Mixolydian that is a favourite of jazz soloists.

Mixolydian ♭6 (5th mode of Melodic Minor)

Again, the name gives us a clue… it’s Mixolydian with a flat 6 (also known as
a minor sixth or ♭6)...

The ♭6 gives it a slightly harsher, more tense quality than the natural
Mixolydian scale. But not quite as tense as…
Phrygian Dominant (5th mode of Harmonic Minor)

Another dominant seventh scale. Commonly heard in flamenco and traditional

styles from all over the world, but a favourite of heavy metal and shred
guitarists.

Phrygian Dominant can be seen as Mixolydian ♭6 with a ♭2 (minor second),

giving us two very tense intervals over our dominant seventh chords...

So if you want your dominant chord soloing to sound especially dark, use
Phrygian Dominant!

Minor Scales
All minor scales contain the root (1) minor third (♭3) and perfect fifth (5)
intervals. In chord form, this 1, ♭3, 5 relationship is known as a minor triad –
the most basic type of minor chord.

For example, Cm is a C minor triad, with C as the root. So any of these

scales, starting on C, would, in theory, be compatible.

Again, all we’re doing is taking the first, third and fifth degrees of the scale to
find its related chord type.

Natural Minor Scale / Aeolian (6th mode of Major Scale)

Natural minor is the most commonly used minor key scale. So if a song is in
the key of A minor, for example, you should first try A Natural Minor. Nine
times out of ten, it’ll work.

You can, of course, also use minor pentatonic with any of these minor scales.
So, we can see the minor triad (1,♭3,5) exists within this scale. But we can
also see it would work over minor seventh chords (1,♭3,5,♭7).

Triad: minor – 1,♭3,5 (e.g. Cm, Cmin)

Seventh: minor – 1,♭3,5,♭7 (e.g. Cm7, Cmin7)

You’ll notice the scale also includes a ♭6 (minor sixth). Be careful with this
one, as it sounds quite dissonant when held over minor chords. Try following
it with a quick move up to the ♭7, or down to the 5.

Dorian (2nd mode of Major Scale)

Another common minor scale. All we do is move the ♭6 of Natural Minor up

by one semitone (one fret) to a natural sixth (6) to get Dorian…

This gives it a more “open” sound and is generally more versatile as it can be
used over unusual minor chord movements. Again, experiment with it over
occurrences of minor chords and let your ears be the judge!
Dorian ♯4 (4th mode of Harmonic Minor)

Sharpen the 4 of Dorian to get… yep!

The augmented fourth (♯4) gives it what western ears would describe as an
“exotic” sound. A tasty alternative to Dorian over minor and minor seventh
chords and another great scale for heavier music.

Harmonic Minor (parent scale)

Our second parent scale, but also a minor scale in its own right. Similar to
Natural Minor, but with a major 7 instead of a ♭7. So only one note
difference!

Now, because it has a major 7, this changes which type of seventh chord it’ll
work over.

Harmonic Minor works over minor major seventh chords. No, that wasn’t a
typo – minor major seventh. That is, a minor triad with a major seventh.

Triad: minor – 1,♭3,5 (e.g. Cm, Cmin)

Seventh: minor major – 1,♭3,5,7 (e.g. CmM7, CmMaj7)

As minor major seventh chords are rarely used (outside jazz anyway),
harmonic minor tends to be used over minor triads. So you’re colouring the
basic minor chord with a major 7.

This gives the minor chord a rather haunting and tense quality. Experiment
with it over the chord tracks that accompany this book.

There are other interesting functions of this scale, but we’ll go into that
another time.

Melodic Minor (parent scale)

Sometimes called “jazz minor” because of its staple use in jazz.

Similar to Harmonic Minor, it has a major 7, but with a major/natural 6

instead of Harmonic Minor’s harsher ♭6.

So you could see it as a combination of Harmonic Minor and Dorian. A nice

blend of openness and tension. Light and dark, if you like.

Like Harmonic Minor, it’ll work over minor triads and minor major seventh
chords.

Diminished Scales
All diminished scales contain the root (1) minor third (♭3) and diminished/flat
fifth (♭5) intervals. In chord form, this 1, ♭3, ♭5 relationship is known as a
diminished triad – the most basic type of diminished chord.
For example, Cdim is a C diminished triad, with C as the root. So any of
these scales, starting on C, would be compatible.

Same as before – the related chord type can be found from building the first,
third and fifth degrees of the scale.

The easiest way to think of diminished chords is minor chords with a flat 5.

Locrian (7th mode of Major Scale)

As you can see, the intervals of the diminished triad (1, ♭3, ♭5) are present.

But we also have a minor/flat seventh (♭7) which creates what is called a half
diminished chord, sometimes called a “minor seven, flat five” chord.

Why “half” diminished? I won’t bore you with that right now, but whatever
you call it, it has a particular sound compatible with this scale.

Triad: minor – 1,♭3,♭5 (e.g. Cdim)

Seventh: half diminished – 1,♭3,♭5,♭7 (e.g. Cm7♭5)

Half Diminished Scale (6th mode of Melodic Minor)

Similar to Locrian, but we have a natural 2 instead of a ♭2 which opens up

the sound a bit more…
Ultra Locrian (7th mode of Harmonic Minor)

This one appears rather peculiar at first, due to its interval naming...

Ah, where to begin?

Here we have two intervals that we don’t usually see in scales – the flat 4
(♭4) and double flat 7 (♭♭7), also known as a diminished seventh interval.

The reason we use these interval names is to keep the numbering consistent,
ensuring we have a sequence of 1 2 3 4 5 6 7. Don’t worry so much about
that now. The most important thing is you get to know the sound of this
scale and which chord type it works over.

The clue of its related chord type is in its seventh interval – the diminished
seventh. This is the interval used in diminished seventh chords.

Like half diminished chords, they contain the diminished triad (1, ♭3, ♭5), but
with a double flat/diminished 7 instead of a single flat 7…

Triad: diminished – 1,♭3,♭5 (e.g. Cdim)

Seventh: diminished – 1,♭3,♭5,♭♭7 (e.g. Cdim7)

So, still part of the diminished family, but that extra flat on the seventh
degree gives it a slightly different sound – more unstable. The Ultra Locrian
scale is a fine choice for playing over such chords.

Use the chord tracks that come with this book to explore its sound.

Augmented Scales
Our final chord type. In their basic triad form, augmented chords can be
thought of as major chords with a sharp/augmented fifth (1, 3, ♯5).

For example, Caug is a C augmented triad, with C as the root. So any of the
following augmented scales, starting on C, would be compatible.

Altered Scale (7th mode of Melodic Minor)

We’re going to “break some rules” (sort of!) here in terms of how we name
the intervals...

You’ll notice that a 2 interval appears twice, in the form of a ♭2 and a ♯2.
That’s OK because we’re playing the scale in an augmented context, so we
need the major third (3) in there.

Sometimes we have to deal with inconsistencies like this (i.e. using an

interval number twice). But again, the important thing is you get to know
how the scale sounds, over its related chord.

The Altered Scale gives us a melodic accompaniment for both augmented

triads and augmented seventh chords…
Triad: augmented – 1,3,♯5 (e.g. Caug)

Seventh: augmented seventh – 1,3,♯5,♭7 (e.g. Caug7)

Again, the chord tracks will help you to explore the scale’s sound.

Power Chords & Metal

It’s worth noting that all these scales will also work over power chords. This
is because power chords only contain the root (1) and fifth (5), so are neither
major nor minor. There’s also no seventh, so they are “neutral” in terms of a
particular chord type.

This means you’re free to use any scale over power chords.

The more tense scales work particularly well in heavy metal, such as Phrygian
Dominant, Harmonic Minor, Dorian ♯4 and Ultra Locrian.
 Pentatonics
You’re probably already familiar with the major and minor pentatonic scales.
They’re usually the first scales we learn.

The scales covered in this book are known as heptatonic – seven pitches per
octave.

Pentatonic scales have five pitches per octave.

But once you’ve learned a number of seven-tone scales, you may notice that
they also contain pentatonic scales. All we do is remove the “colour tones”.

For example, Minor Pentatonic can be spelled the following way…

1 – ♭3 – 4 – 5 – ♭7

These intervals are contained within some of the minor scales we looked at.
Taking Dorian as an example…

There, I’ve greyed out Dorian’s colour tones, leaving that familiar Minor
Pentatonic pattern (its first position box pattern).

See if you can do the same with the other minor scales and combine
pentatonic with seven-tone phrases.

We can see a similar thing with major scales and major pentatonic.

Major Pentatonic can be spelled in the following way…

1–2–3–5–6

Take Mixolydian…

Of course, some major and minor scales don’t use all the intervals of major
or minor pentatonic. For example, Melodic Minor has a major 7, not a ♭7. But
we can still make a pentatonic scale from it…

Or…
By mixing seven-tone scales with pentatonics, you can create more varied
and dynamic phrasing/licks.

So it’s not just about the notes you play… it’s sometimes about the notes you
don’t play!

This is known as omission. By skipping tones in a seven note scale, which is

essentially what we’re doing when we play pentatonic scales, we can create
less “linear” sounding phrases and licks.
 Final Thoughts
The aim of this book was to give you a roadmap, right across the guitar neck,
for some of the most commonly used scales in music.

The freedom that comes from this means you’ll be thinking less about where
to put your fingers and more about how each note you play along the
roadmap connects to, and complements the backing music.

In other words, by mastering these core patterns, you’ll be able to explore

the melodic scenery along your fretboard journey, rather than running into
“bum note” dead ends and getting lost along the way to your destination
note.

But what I also hope you take away from this is how scales are all
interconnected as part of a system, whether it be how the degrees/intervals
of the “parent scale” mark the start of other scales, or how
flattening/sharpening notes in a scale can produce a completely new scale
and sound.

However you use the information in this book, I hope it unlocks your
musicality and gives you the confidence to craft and improvise solos that you
can be proud of and others will enjoy hearing.

Of course, there’s much more to lead playing than simply memorising

patterns. But I’m sure you can agree it would be overwhelming to cover
absolutely everything in one book.

If you follow fretjam, be assured that I’ll be creating more lessons, videos
and guides like this one to help you reach your fullest potential on guitar.

Thank you for your time!

Be Yourself On Guitar
Mike Beatham
fretjam.com