Major Scale Shapes And Basic Major Seventh Chords

By learning the major scale shapes and their positions on the fretboard, you'll not only improve your soloing but also understand where to find and play major seventh chords across the neck.

This connection between scales and chords will deepen your grasp of harmony and help you understand your guitar neck.

Major Scale

The major scale (also known as Ionian mode) is one of the most fundamental scales in music and forms the basis for much of Western music theory.

It consists of seven notes arranged in a specific pattern of whole steps (W) and half steps (H), creating a bright, uplifting sound.

The pattern for the major scale is:

Whole, Whole, Half, Whole, Whole, Whole, Half (W-W-H-W-W-W-H)

Example in the Key of C Major:

Using the whole and half step pattern, the C major scale has these notes: C - D - E - F - G - A - B - C

Here’s how it breaks down:

C to D: Whole step

D to E: Whole step

E to F: Half step

F to G: Whole step

G to A: Whole step

A to B: Whole step

B to C: Half step

Why It’s Important:

The major scale sets the foundation for chords, chord progressions, and melodies.

In guitar playing, knowing the major scale helps you build chords, understand key signatures, and create solos that fit within a song's key.

Major 7 Chords

Major seventh chords (Maj7) are four-note chords that add a rich, mellow sound to music, often heard in jazz, pop, and blues.

They are formed by taking the 1st, 3rd, 5th, and 7th notes from a major scale.

These chords differ from basic major chords by adding a "major seventh" interval, which creates a smooth, slightly dreamy feel.

How to Build a Major Seventh Chord

To build a major seventh chord, start with the major scale of the root note, then use:

1st note (root)

3rd note (major third)

5th note (perfect fifth)

7th note (major seventh)

For example, in the C major scale (C - D - E - F - G - A - B):

Cmaj7 chord is: C (root) - E (major third) - G (perfect fifth) - B (major seventh)

Major seventh chords are a great way to add depth and sophistication to your playing, especially when used in progressions.

Basic Scale And Chord Shapes

Here below you'll find six basic ways of playing the major scale and the corresponding chords.

All the examples are in G, these are all movable shapes, meaning that you can play them anywhere on the guitar neck.

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