In this lecture, we're going to take a look at how to create a major scale going up the neck and down the neck. Okay, before we start going up and down the neck creating major scales, we have to have a decent understanding of what is a whole step and what is a half step. So a whole step is basically when you're going up two frets or down two frets. So I'm going to start on this G right here. If I need to go up a whole step, I'm going to go up two frets to a. So a whole step is up two frets, I want to go down a whole step, I just go down two frets down to this F. So that is what a whole step is, you're going up or down two frets, a half step is when you go only go up one fret.
So if I needed to go one half step above this G, I would just play right here on this G sharp. If I need to go a half step below this G, I would just go down one fret to G flat. And that's what whole steps and half steps are. All right, the next step is learning and under Standing the pattern of a major scale, a major scale going to start here on F, A major scale is going to be up two whole steps and then a half step, then going to go up three whole steps and a half step. So we end up with this no rain me for so long t doe. So once again, that is you're gonna start here, you're going to go up two whole steps, then a half step, then you're gonna go up three whole steps, and then a half step.
And that is the pattern. I personally use numbers I don't use solfege, like no README file, so I typically don't use letters, you can certainly use the letters, fa, G, B flat, C, D, E, F, that's the letters in a an F major scale. The reason I use numbers is because I can use those those numbers anywhere on the neck. Like if I go 12345671 I don't need to know the notes in an F major scale because I can start Hear on F sharp and go 12345671. That's why I think it's really important to use the numbers so you understand the relationship between the numbers. So if you're going to be using the numbers, the half steps are between three and 41234.
And then the other half step is between seven and 15671. And that's, that's the pattern of how to create a major scale going up and down the neck. Okay, now I'm going to play a major scale, I decided to use a, I'm going to play an A major scale going up the neck and down the neck on the sixth string. So I'm going to start here a one, it's going to go 12345671. I go up further 1234 coming back 43217654321. Now I don't want to just practice going up the neck.
I want to practice going down the neck as well. So I'm going to say Hearing go 17655671 that was an A major scale on the sixth string going up and down in the key of A. So what I'm going to suggest to you is, we're going to do this on all six strings. And then what you need to do is practice all 12 keys, I would suggest going around the circle of fifths, you can just pick random notes, or you can start on C, do it all on C, then go to G, then D, then a, it's a little more organized if you go around the circle, the circle of fifths, but you know, that's up to you how you want to do that. Alright, so now let's go ahead and take a look and we're going to play an A major scale going up and down the neck on the fifth string.
Right, this is open a, so it's gonna go 12345671 if I continue on, it's gonna go 123456 that's as far as I can go. So if I come back 654321 7654321 that's how you go up and down the neck playing in a major scale on the fifth string. Now let's take a look at how would you do that on the fourth string. Okay, so I have to locate, whereas an A add on the fourth string is going to be right here on the fourth string seventh fret. So I'm going to get down first I'm going to go 1765445671 then I'm going to go up 12345671. I'd go up here to two and coming back to 17654321.
That's where you would play an A major scale on the fourth string. Now let's take a look at the third string. All right here on the third string, we have an A on the third string second fret. So the there's only one number or no idea Lower down to seven. So I'm mostly going to spending most of my time going up the neck and then back down. So it's going to go 123456712345 coming back 543 to 17654321.
All right, so when you're doing that, you know, you always have to be very aware of where your half steps you always want to remember that three and four together. 123456 and seven one are always together. Alright, so now let's take a look at how would we do that? Play that a major scale on the second string. On the second string a is on the 10th fret. So we're going to start here we're going to go down first.
1765432 Coming back Up to 34567 back to one going up higher 1-234-567-1176 54321 that's playing in a major scale going up and down the second string. Now let's take a look at the first string. On the first string, the a is going to be on the fifth fret. So if we go down it's going to go 17655671 going up the neck 1-234-567-1234 coming back 43217654321 that was how you play an A major scale going up and down the neck on the first string. That is how you create an A major scale. Go Up and down the neck on all six strings.
Now it's going to be your job to go ahead and do that not only in the key of A but do that in all 12 keys. Have fun