A Musical Method For Memorizing Scales

Last week I suggested 10 steps to help you practice working on a song.
I mentioned relating scale shapes to CAGED chords. With that in mind I'd like to focus on this approach for the major pentatonic scale and major scale.

In the past you may have memorized two-octave scale patterns but not referenced them to chords. I'm sure many of you (like me) learned the 5 pentatonic scale shapes and had convoluted ways of remembering them, such as "shape 4, that looks like the main one but with the second finger to pinky move" or perhaps "shape 5, that's the symmetrical one 2 frets below the main one" and so on.

I did that for years until I realized that the chords themselves were the most logical reference point.

Let's take a look at the CAGED major chords and major scale relationship. This will really help you understand the fretboard and see chord tones when soloing.

Our first shape is the C CAGED shape.
Look at the corresponding major pentatonic pattern:

Let's play this scale in the key of D major

D Major chord = D-F#-A (Root-3rd-5th)
D Major Pentatonic scale = D-E-F#-A-B-D (Root-2nd-3rd-5th-6th)

Play the major pentatonic scale from D to D inside the CAGED C shape.

Try to avoid thinking of this as anything to do with it's relative minor, meaning this is not Bm pentatonic! :-)

By doing this we are hearing the scale in the context of the D major chord:

Next, expand the D major pentatonic scale above and below the root whilst remaining in the CAGED C position.

And now the fun part, improvise using the D major pentatonic scale over this
D major jam track

Make melodies, develop a simple musical motif whilst staying in the C CAGED position. Get used to the way the notes sound there and visualize the chord.

Once you've spent some time improvising, add two notes to the D major pentatonic scale to create the D major scale and repeat this process, still referencing the C CAGED chord shape.

D Major chord = D-F#-A (Root-3rd-5th)
D Major scale = D-E-F#-G-A-B-C#-D (Root-2nd-3rd-4th-5th-6th-7th)

Play the major scale from D to D inside the CAGED C shape:

Then expand the scale above and below the root whilst remaining in the CAGED C neck position:

Improvise using the D major scale over the same D major jam track

Again, make melodies, develop musical motifs whilst staying in the C CAGED position.

Pay attention to the sound of the two new notes, the 4th and the 7th.

Try this in different keys and we'll continue our major CAGED study next week.

Last Week's Email
Information Overload? 10 Steps For Your Next Practice Session

P.S. New Music: "Restless"
"Restless" is a high energy rock song with a psychedelic quality to the vocals and a fierce electric guitar solo!

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Thanks for reading! Have comments or a question? Send me an email
Now go practice your CAGED major scales and I'll see you next week.
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Rob Garland · Guitar Babylon · Los Angeles, CA 90019 · USA