E-shape Major Scale

The major scale contains all the notes in a major key. We can play the major scale over the I chord in a song without any dissonance. But, unlike the major pentatonic, the two additional notes in the major scale can clash with notes in other chords. So we have to be aware of what chord we're on in the chord progression, and use our ears to make sure we don't play one of the dissonant semitones from the major scale.

Major scale form

This is the major scale around the E-shape major chord. Compare it to the E-shape major pentatonic, and notice the major scale has a 4 and 7 that the pentatonic does not. Those notes are each one fret (a half step, or semitone) away from a chord tone. Those are the two notes we have to use our ears to decide whether to play at any given time in a song. Sometimes they are the perfect sound for leading to the next chord, and sometimes they clash horribly.

That's why we drill the pentatonic shape into muscle memory, but need to play the major scale more carefully when we improvise.

Study and practice

As always, when practicing scales we want to practice in a way that lands chord tones on downbeats.

This is the basic major scale chord tone practice pattern, which accounts for the spacing of chord tones within the scale. It leaps over the 7 to the 1, then doubles back to play the 7 resolving into the 1 again. See the major scale practice pattern in the Introduction to Scales for details.

Press play in the diagram to see and hear the pattern, followed by the arpeggio. Try playing it on repeat a few times to get the sound of the chord tones in your ears.