C Major Scale

C major

Notes

C · D · E · F · G · A · B

Intervals

  • RootC (1P)
  • Major 2ndD (2M)
  • Major 3rdE (3M)
  • Perfect 4thF (4P)
  • Perfect 5thG (5P)
  • Major 6thA (6M)
  • Major 7thB (7M)

Fretboard

EBGDAE357912EFGABCDEBCDEFGABGABCDEFGDEFGABCDABCDEFGAEFGABCDE
Open in visualizer →

Adjust labels, frets, and palette in the interactive view.

Modes of C major

Each mode uses the same seven notes as C major, started from a different scale degree.

  1. 1C Ionian — this scale— major 7th (7)
  2. 2D Dorian— natural 6th (♮6)
  3. 3E Phrygian— flat 2nd (♭2)
  4. 4F Lydian— sharp 4th (♯4 / ♯11)
  5. 5G Mixolydian— flat 7th (♭7)
  6. 6A Aeolian— flat 6th (♭6)
  7. 7B Locrian— flat 5th (♭5)

3-Notes-Per-String positions

Seven movable patterns, each covering all 6 strings with 3 consecutive scale tones per string. Root notes are shown in red.

All 7 patterns
Pattern 1open · frets 0–5
EBGDAE35EFGABCDEFGABCDEFGA
Pattern 2frets 1–7
EBGDAE357FGABCDEFGABCDEFGAB
Pattern 3frets 3–8
EBGDAE3579GABCDEFGABCDEFGABC
Pattern 4frets 5–10
EBGDAE579ABCDEFGABCDEFGABCD
Pattern 5frets 7–12
EBGDAE791213BCDEFGABCDEFGABCDE
Pattern 6frets 8–13
EBGDAE9121314CDEFGABCDEFGABCDEF
Pattern 7frets 10–15
EBGDAE1213141516DEFGABCDEFGABCDEFG

Quartal voicings

Stacked perfect 4ths across four adjacent strings, sorted nut to heel. Root notes are circled in red.

All voicings
EBGDAE3EADG
E root
EBGDAE3ADGC
A root
EBGDAE3DGCF
D root
EBGDAE57ADGC
A root
EBGDAE35BEAD
B root
EBGDAE35EADG
E root
EBGDAE79BEAD
B root
EBGDAE57DGCF
D root
EBGDAE79ADGC
A root
EBGDAE1213DGCF
D root
EBGDAE79EADG
E root
EBGDAE912BEAD
B root

Diagrams

C Major Scale fretboard charts — tap any diagram to open it full size to save or print.

C Major Scale — notes C, D, E, F, G, A, B shown across the full guitar fretboard, frets 0 to 12.
Whole neck — frets 0–12
C Major Scale — seven 3-notes-per-string positions shown as fretboard neck slices.
Seven 3NPS positions
C Major Scale — quartal voicings shown as chord-box diagrams for all four roots.
Quartal voicings — 3 string sets, sorted nut to heel