"Visualizing Scale Fingerings" - My FingeringBoard Journey (03/12)
Channel: Bill Fitzpatrick's Videos
Date: 10/04/2023

So going a bit deeper into my FingeringBoard journey, why don’t we use my FingeringBoard to visualize the patterns found in two and three octave scales. Let’s start with a two octave A major scale starting with the first finger on the G string. I went over one octave scales in the previous video so using this information we can now build a two octave scale. 

By starting the second octave with the eighth degree of the first octave it now becomes the first degree of the second octave. From there we build using the same patterns … whole step, whole step, half step; whole step, whole step, half step with a whole step in between the tetrachords. And with that we now have a two octave scale.

Notice that the configuration of whole and half steps from string to string, starting from the G string, is whole / whole / half on the G and D strings and whole / half / whole on the A and E strings. This pattern will stay the same for all two octave scales that start with the first finger on the G string. 

For example if you look at B major, starting of course with the first ring on the G string, you will see that the distribution of tetrachord patterns are identical. It’s a pattern… I love it!
So when you start with the first finger on the G string you can easily create any 2 octave scale as the same pattern exists regardless to the scale. 

All right then so let’s move on to three octave scales. There are four major fingerings for major and minor scales. Here look at this chart…
 
Lets look at B flat ascending on my FingeringBoard. As you will see patterns emerge from string to string and within positions…
 
On the G string it starts with 2 1 2 3 4. I call this a 2-1-2 fingering. This fingering starts with B flat major and can be used for any scale above it; like C or D or E etc..

So on the D string 21234 and the pattern is half-whole-whole
On the A string 1-2-3 whole-whole then shift to the E flat and its 1234 whole-whole-whole

Then on the E string with 12-12-1234 whole with a whole step shift then half with a whole step shift then whole-whole-half.
 
Oh yes for the record descending on the E string is 4321 – 4321 or 4-4321-321.

On the A, D and G string’s the fingering stays the same as in the ascending scale.
 
OK that said let’s look at B major. First 21234… it’s the same. The D string fingering pattern… well it’s the same… In fact it’s all the same! Every string every pattern every shift! The same!

Another fingering is used for an A major scale. I call it a 2-1-1 fingering. 21-1234123412-1234-12-12-1234 … Do be aware that these fingerings work only when you start from the G string
 
As I showed you in the scale chart, there are 2 scale fingerings left on for open G and another for A flat which are unique to those keys
G = 02101234123412-1234-12-1234-4
A flat = 101234123412-123412-12-1234

By the way an added bonus is that all these fingerings work for all minor scales as well.

Oh yes, perhaps you are wondering why I organized these fingerings this way. I mean some would say that all fingerings are useful and should be learned. I guess it just boils down to the fact that I feel that one needs to start somewhere thats clear and as organized as possible. And from that point I think one has all the tools one needs to explore!
 
So with that do take care and please be safe!