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Diatonic Scale Patterns

I do not assume any responsibility for frustration, injury or death resulting from the application of these exercises.

This article contains scale patterns and fingerings for the seven diatonic modes, which includes the major and (natural) minor scales.

Scale patterns are all over the neck. If I were really lazy, I could simply show you a scale box with the locations of all the natural notes on a 24-fret guitar fretboard, repeat that Ionian starts on C, Dorian on D, etc., and leave you to it.

But I won't. I am going to write out a couple of suitable patterns to use for each and every diatonic scale, to use as a starting point. I have provided several patterns, depending on whether the root is on the 5th or 6th string. Perhaps you will see at first glance that the scale patterns are grouped by starting point. On the first few, you start with the index finger on the root, then the bird, then the pinky. The starting finger determines where the scale pattern is anchored, and also how much lateral motion it has, which is a concept we will continue exploring in the article on breaking out of the box.

In order to maintain consistency, I have based all these examples on the root note C, meaning 3rd, 8th and 15th position for all scales.

Ionian/Major | Dorian | Phrygian | Lydian | Mixolydian | Aeolian/Natural Minor | Locrian

Ionian/Major Scale

E-------------------------5-7-8-
B-------------------5-6-8-------
G-------------4-5-7-------------
D-------3-5-7-------------------
A-3-5-7-------------------------
E-------------------------------
  1 2 4 1 2 4 1 2 4 1 2 4 1 3 4
E------------------------------------------
B---------------------------------10-12-13-
G-------------------------9-10-12----------
D-----------------9-10-12------------------
A---------8-10-12--------------------------
E-8-10-12----------------------------------
  1  2  4 1  2  4 1  2  4 1  2  4  1  3  4 
E--------------------------------------8-
B------------------------------8-10-12---
G-------------------------9-10-----------
D-----------------9-10-12----------------
A---------8-10-12------------------------
E-8-10-12--------------------------------
  1  2  4 1  2  4  1 2  4  1 2 1  2  4 1 
E-----------------------3-5-7s8-
B-----------------3-5-6---------
G-----------2-4-5---------------
D-----2-3-5---------------------
A-3-5---------------------------
E-------------------------------
  2 4 1 2 4 1 3 4 1 3 4 1 2 4s4 
E--------------------------------7-8-
B---------------------------8-10-----
G--------------------7-9-10----------
D-------------7-9-10-----------------
A------7-8-10------------------------
E-8-10-------------------------------
  2  4 1 2  4 1 3  4 1 3  4 1  2 1 2
E----------------------------12-13-15-
B-------------------12-13-15----------
G-------------12-14-------------------
D----12-14-15-------------------------
A-15----------------------------------
E-------------------------------------
   4  1  3  4  1  3  1  2  4  1  2  4
E-------------------------5-7-8-
B-------------------5-6-8-------
G-------------4-5-7-------------
D---------5-7-------------------
A---5-7-8-----------------------
E-8-----------------------------
  4 1 3 4 1 3 1 2 4 1 2 4 1 3 4

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Dorian

E-------------------------5-6-8-
B-------------------4-6-8-------
G-------------3-5-7-------------
D-------3-5-7-------------------
A-3-5-6-------------------------
E-------------------------------
  1 3 4 1 2 4 1 2 4 1 2 4 1 2 4
E------------------------------------------
B---------------------------------10-11-13-
G-------------------------8-10-12----------
D-----------------8-10-12------------------
A---------8-10-12--------------------------
E-8-10-11----------------------------------
  1 3  4  1 2  4  1 2  4  1 2  4  1  2  4
E--------------------------------------8-
B------------------------------8-10-11---
G-------------------------8-10-----------
D-----------------8-10-12----------------
A---------8-10-12------------------------
E-8-10-11--------------------------------
  1 3  4  1 2  4  1 2  4  1 2  1 3  4  1
E-----------------------3-5-6-s8-
B-----------------3-4-6----------
G-----------2-3-5----------------
D-----1-3-5----------------------
A-3-5----------------------------
E--------------------------------
  2 4 1 2 4 1 2 4 1 3 4 1 3 4 s4
E-----------------------------------8-
B---------------------------8-10-11---
G--------------------7-8-10-----------
D-------------7-8-10------------------
A------6-8-10-------------------------
E-8-10---------------------------------
  2 4  1 2 4  1 2 4  1 2 4  1 3  4  1
E-------------------------------13-15-
B----------------------13-15-16-------
G-------------12-14-15----------------
D----12-13-15-------------------------
A-15----------------------------------
E-------------------------------------
  4  1  2  4  1  3  4  1  3  4  1  3
E-------------------------5-6-8-
B---------------------6-8-------
G---------------5-7-8-----------
D---------5-7-8-----------------
A---5-6-8-----------------------
E-8-----------------------------
  4 1 2 4 1 3 4 1 3 4 2 4 1 2 4

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Phrygian

E-------------------------4-6-8-
B-------------------4-6-8-------
G-------------3-5-6-------------
D-------3-5-6-------------------
A-3-4-6-------------------------
E-------------------------------
  1 2 4 1 3 4 1 3 4 1 2 4 1 2 4
E----------------------------------------
B--------------------------------9-11-13-
G------------------------8-10-12---------
D----------------8-10-11-----------------
A--------8-10-11-------------------------
E-8-9-11---------------------------------
  1 2 4  1 3  4  1 3  4  1 2  4  1 2  4
E------------------------------------8-
B-----------------------------8-9-11---
G------------------------8-10----------
D----------------8-10-11---------------
A--------8-10-11-----------------------
E-8-9-11-------------------------------
  1 2 4  1 3  4  1 3  4  1 3  1 2 4  1
E-----------------------3-4-6-s8-
B-----------------2-4-6----------
G-----------1-3-5----------------
D-----1-3-5----------------------
A-3-4----------------------------
E--------------------------------
  2 3 1 2 4 1 2 4 1 2 4 1 2 4 s4
E---------------------------------8-
B--------------------------8-9-11---
G-------------------6-8-10----------
D------------6-8-10-----------------
A-----6-8-10------------------------
E-8-9-------------------------------
  2 3 1 2 4  1 2 4  1 2 4  1 2 4  1
E-------------------------------13-15-
B----------------------13-14-16-------
G-------------12-13-15----------------
D----11-13-15-------------------------
A-15----------------------------------
E-------------------------------------
  4  1  2  4  1  2  4  1  2  4  1  3
E---------------------------6-8-
B---------------------6-8-9-----
G---------------5-6-8-----------
D---------5-6-8-----------------
A---4-6-8-----------------------
E-8-----------------------------
  4 1 2 4 1 2 4 1 2 4 1 3 4 1 3

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Lydian

E-------------------------5-7-8-
B-------------------5-7-8-------
G-------------4-5-7-------------
D-------4-5-7-------------------
A-3-5-7-------------------------
E-------------------------------
  1 2 4 1 2 4 1 2 4 1 3 4 1 3 4
E------------------------------------------
B---------------------------------10-12-13-
G-------------------------9-11-12----------
D-----------------9-10-12------------------
A---------9-10-12--------------------------
E-8-10-12----------------------------------
  1 2  4  1 2  4  1 2  4  1 3  4  1  3  4
E--------------------------------------8-
B------------------------------8-10-12---
G-------------------------9-11-----------
D-----------------9-10-12----------------
A---------9-10-12------------------------
E-8-10-12--------------------------------
  1  2  4 1 2  4  1 2  4  1 3  1 2  4  1
E-----------------------3-5-7-s8-
B-----------------3-5-7----------
G-----------2-4-5----------------
D-----2-4-5----------------------
A-3-5----------------------------
E--------------------------------
  2 4 1 3 4 1 3 4 1 2 4 1 2 4 s4
E-----------------------------------8-
B---------------------------8-10-12---
G--------------------7-9-11-----------
D-------------7-9-10------------------
A------7-9-10-------------------------
E-8-10--------------------------------
  2 4  1 3 4  1 3 4  1 2 4  1 2  4  1
E-------------------------------13-15-
B----------------------13-15-17-------
G-------------12-14-16----------------
D----12-14-16-------------------------
A-15----------------------------------
E-------------------------------------
  4  1  2  4  1  2  4  1  2  4  1  2
E-------------------------5-7-8-
B-------------------5-7-8-------
G---------------5-7-------------
D---------5-7-9-----------------
A---5-7-9-----------------------
E-8-----------------------------
  4 1 2 4 1 2 4 1 3 1 3 4 1 3 4

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Mixolydian

E-------------------------5-6-8-
B-------------------5-6-8-------
G-------------3-5-7-------------
D-------3-5-7-------------------
A-3-5-7-------------------------
E-------------------------------
  1 2 4 1 2 4 1 2 4 1 2 4 1 2 4
E------------------------------------------
B---------------------------------10-11-13-
G-------------------------9-10-12----------
D-----------------8-10-12------------------
A---------8-10-12--------------------------
E-8-10-12----------------------------------
  1 2  4  1 2  4  1 2  4  1 2  4  1  2  4
E-------------------------------------8-
B------------------------------8-9-11---
G-------------------------9-10----------
D-----------------8-10-12---------------
A---------8-10-12-----------------------
E-8-10-12-------------------------------
  1 2  4  1 2  4  1 2  4  1 2  1 3 4  1
E-----------------------3-5-6-s8-
B-----------------3-5-6----------
G-----------2-3-5----------------
D-----2-3-5----------------------
A-3-5----------------------------
E--------------------------------
  2 4 1 2 4 1 2 4 1 3 4 1 3 4 s4
E----------------------------------8-
B---------------------------8-10-11--
G--------------------7-9-10----------
D-------------7-8-10-----------------
A------7-8-10------------------------
E-8-10-------------------------------
  2 4  1 2 4  1 2 4  1 3 4  1 3  4 1
E-------------------------------13-15-
B----------------------13-15-17-------
G-------------12-14-15----------------
D----12-14-15-------------------------
A-15----------------------------------
E-------------------------------------
  4  1  3  4  1  3  4  1  2  4  1  3
E-------------------------5-6-8-
B-------------------5-6-8-------
G---------------5-7-------------
D---------5-7-8-----------------
A---5-7-8-----------------------
E-8-----------------------------
  4 1 3 4 1 3 4 1 3 1 2 4 1 2 4

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Aeolian/(Natural) Minor Scale

E-------------------------4-6-8-
B-------------------4-6-8-------
G-------------3-5-7-------------
D-------3-5-6-------------------
A-3-5-6-------------------------
E-------------------------------
  1 3 4 1 3 4 1 2 4 1 2 4 1 2 4
E----------------------------------------
B--------------------------------9-11-13-
G-------------------------8-10-12--------
D-----------------8-10-12----------------
A---------8-10-11------------------------
E-8-10-11--------------------------------
  1 3  4  1 3  4  1 2  4  1 2  4 1 2  4
E-------------------------------------8-
B------------------------------8-9-11---
G-------------------------8-10----------
D-----------------8-10-12---------------
A---------8-10-11-----------------------
E-8-10-11-------------------------------
  1 3  4  1 3  4  1 2  4  1 3  1 2 4  1
E-----------------------3-4-6-s8-
B-----------------3-4-6----------
G-----------1-3-5----------------
D-----1-3-5----------------------
A-3-5----------------------------
E--------------------------------
  2 4 1 2 4 1 2 4 1 2 4 1 2 4 s4
E----------------------------------8-
B---------------------------8-9-11---
G--------------------7-8-10----------
D-------------6-8-10-----------------
A------6-8-10------------------------
E-8-10-------------------------------
  2 4  1 2 4  1 2 4  1 2 4  1 2 4  1
E-------------------------------13-15-
B----------------------13-15-16-------
G-------------12-13-15----------------
D----12-13-15-------------------------
A-15----------------------------------
E-------------------------------------
  4  1  2  4  1  2  4  1  3  4  1  3 
E---------------------------6-8-
B---------------------6-8-9-----
G---------------5-7-8-----------
D---------5-6-8-----------------
A---5-6-8-----------------------
E-8-----------------------------
  4 1 2 4 1 2 4 1 3 4 1 3 4 1 3

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Locrian

E-------------------------4-6-8-
B-------------------4-6-8-------
G-------------3-5-6-------------
D-------3-4-6-------------------
A-3-4-6-------------------------
E-------------------------------
  1 2 4 1 2 4 1 3 4 1 2 4 1 2 4
E---------------------------------------
B-------------------------------9-11-13-
G-----------------------8-10-11---------
D---------------8-10-11-----------------
A--------8-9-11-------------------------
E-8-9-11--------------------------------
  1 2 4  1 2 4  1 3  4  1 3  4  1 2  4
E--------------------------------6-8-
B----------------------------7-9-----
G-----------------------8-10---------
D---------------8-10-11--------------
A--------8-9-11----------------------
E-8-9-11-----------------------------
  1 2 4  1 2 4  1 3  4  1 3  1 3 1 3
E----------------------------------14-16-18-s20-
B-------------------------14-16-18--------------
G----------------13-15-17-----------------------
D-------13-15-16--------------------------------
A-15-16-----------------------------------------
E-----------------------------------------------
  2  3  1  3  4  1  2  4  1  2  4  1  2  4  s4
E--------------------------------8-
B-------------------------7-9-11---
G------------------6-8-10----------
D-----------6-8-10-----------------
A-----6-8-9------------------------
E-8-9------------------------------
  3 4 1 3 4 1 2 4  1 2 4  1 2 4  1
E-------------------------------13-14-
B----------------------13-14-16-------
G-------------11-13-15----------------
D----11-13-15-------------------------
A-15----------------------------------
E-------------------------------------
   4  1  2  4  1  2  4  1  2  4  1  2
E---------------------------6-8-
B---------------------6-7-9-----
G---------------5-6-8-----------
D---------4-6-8-----------------
A---4-6-8-----------------------
E-8-----------------------------
  4 1 2 4 1 2 4 1 2 4 1 2 4 1 3

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