D major Scale

Hi
Why does D major scale have 2 sharps? How come the notes don't follow always to the major note like the C major scale does?
I expected
D to E whole step
E to F half step
F to G whole step
G to A Whole step
A to B whole step
B to C half step
C to D whole step
And therefore the shape of the scale is different then the C major scale?

I do understand that with the 2 sharps F# and C# you preserve the shape of the C major scale, but Im not getting the point of preserving the shape over preserving the major step.

Also does this shape apply to all major note shapes? any exceptions?

Thanks in advance.

Originally Posted by: mbgold78
Why does D major scale have 2 sharps? How come the notes don't follow always to the major note like the C major scale does?
I expected
D to E whole step
E to F half step
F to G whole step
G to A Whole step
A to B whole step
B to C half step
C to D whole step
And therefore the shape of the scale is different then the C major scale?
[/quote]
Because the entire point of the major scale is that it has a specific interval formula creating a unique, individual sound. That interval formula is:

Root (whole step) 2nd (whole step) major 3rd (half step) 4th (whole step) 5th (whole step) major 6th (whole step) major 7th (half step) root

That interval formula is the major scale. If you don't have that set of intervals in that order, you don't have a major scale.

So, we apply that formula across the board. If you want to play a D major scale, you start at the note D & apply the formula & get:

D (whole step) E (whole step) F# (half step) G (whole step) A (whole step) B (whole step) C# (half step) D

D - root
E - 2nd
F# - major 3rd
G - 4th
A - 5th
B - major 6th
C# - major 7th

Contrast that with the sound of the intervals you created.

D - root
E - 2nd
F - minor 3rd
G - 4th
A - 5th
B - major 6th
C - minor 7th

This is D dorian, which is the 2nd mode of the C major scale. Which makes perfect sense, since it's the notes of the C major scale simply starting on the 2nd scale degree. :)
[QUOTE=mbgold78]but Im not getting the point of preserving the shape over preserving the major step.

Also does this shape apply to all major note shapes?

Because the shape preserves the sound of the major scale in the form of the interval formula. Yes, it applies to all major scales. The whole reason each major scale has a different system of sharps or flats is the result of giving each musical alphabet letter the chance to start that unique interval formula.

This tutorial on the circle of fifths covers this issue in depth.

https://www.guitartricks.com/tutorial.php?input=835

Hope this helps! Please ask more if necessary & have fun!

Chris, Thanks for the reply. I just started your core 2 videos, and beginning the A minor scale. I'm grateful man thanks... I took your advice and I watched up to playing resolutions on your fifths tutorial and I have a lot to think about and understand. Maybe you can help unravel some confusion.

1. You were playing C to its octave C. Then you moved to the lower fifth G, to its octave. Switching back and forth between playing them simultaneously seemed harmonious, but Im not sure that was the takeaway?
2. Then you matched C to its higher octave C and went to the 3rd note from the octave to E. But, when I counted 1 2 3 from the octave C using the scale shape, I did not hit E but a D#, was I not supposed to use the C scale shape from the higher octave c?
3. Once you had C,C,E not exactly sure how you were strumming, it sounded like you were only hitting string 5 3 and 2, not sure of your strum technique? When I strum down on all strings it doesn't sound right.
4. When you were completing the cadence(i think I'm using the term correctly) by moving to the G position, why did you move from 1 to 7 on the 2 string and E to F on the second? I was assuming G to G and 3 from there?

You are welcome!

Originally Posted by: mbgold78
1. You were playing C to its octave C. Then you moved to the lower fifth G, to its octave. Switching back and forth between playing them simultaneously seemed harmonious, but Im not sure that was the takeaway?
[/QUOTE]
I'm referring to lesson 3.

https://www.guitartricks.com/lesson.php?input=13699&s_id=835

I make two points here.

1. The root & the 5th of a scale can be used to alternate between as bass notes in one chord. It gives the music a lot of "activity" or "motion". That's because it is the furthest interval distance you can get from the octaves. So, even though I use the G lower & not in between, you still get that distinctive sound.

C root -> G 5th -> C octave

You can do alternating bass with any note from the scale. But the reason the 5th is so often used is because it provides the biggest & most "forward motion" sound.

2. I pair the leading tone (the major 7th scale degree) with the 5th degree because it's the foundation of tonal music.

C --> B (7th) --> C
C --> G (5th) --> C

So we get two "voices" or simultaneous melodic threads. And this is the basis of tonal music harmony. The entire point of harmony is two things that sound good together. Music is organized sound that happens over the course of time. So when we "look under the hood" to study the engine, to study the technical details of how music actually works in real time, we find that melodies are constructed from a series of scale notes that get built into harmonic progressions called chords.

There is a reason for structure of the scales, chords & harmonic progressions of music theory. And I am outlining the basics of it in this tutorial. All of this assumes you already know that a G chord to a C chord is a V->I chord progression in C major. And that G7 -> C is another possible tonal resolution.

This is pretty steep music theory. :) And if you just a beginner then you should just worry about practicing your guitar & making some music you like. But sometimes people ask "But why?!" So, I wanted to give GT students the answer to that question.

But it does get a little complex. :)

Originally Posted by: mbgold78
2. Then you matched C to its higher octave C and went to the 3rd note from the octave to E. But, when I counted 1 2 3 from the octave C using the scale shape, I did not hit E but a D#, was I not supposed to use the C scale shape from the higher octave c?
[/QUOTE]
If you count 3 scale degrees up from C you will get E if you use the major scale formula of 2 whole steps from root to major 3rd.

If you count 3 scale degrees up from C you will get E-flat (same things as D#) if you use the minor scale formula of 1 and a half steps from root to minor 3rd.

So it sounds like you just counted a minor 3rd instead of a major 3rd.
[QUOTE=mbgold78]
3. Once you had C,C,E not exactly sure how you were strumming, it sounded like you were only hitting string 5 3 and 2, not sure of your strum technique? When I strum down on all strings it doesn't sound right.

I am using hybrid picking. I pluck the A string with my pick. I pluck the G & B strings with my middle & ring fingers. That helps to avoid the D string all together.
[QUOTE=mbgold78]
4. When you were completing the cadence(i think I'm using the term correctly) by moving to the G position, why did you move from 1 to 7 on the 2 string and E to F on the second? I was assuming G to G and 3 from there?

I was showing the other option of a G7 chord as a V chord.

Both of these are tonal resolutions called a full cadence.

G (V) --> C (I)
G7 (V7) --> C (I)

The G7 is just a more complex version of a V chord.

I use these examples because this simple chord progression is the backbone of Functional Harmony.

Lessons 5 & 6 are more what I wanted you to look at concerning applying the major scale pattern across the guitar. Hope this helps! Have fun!

Originally Posted by: ChristopherSchlegel
If you count 3 scale degrees up from C you will get E if you use the major scale formula of 2 whole steps from root to major 3rd.

If you count 3 scale degrees up from C you will get E-flat (same things as D#) if you use the minor scale formula of 1 and a half steps from root to minor 3rd.

So it sounds like you just counted a minor 3rd instead of a major 3rd.

When I look at a picture of the fretboard for example http://www.guitar-instruction-video.com/fretbo3.jpg
I see the position of the C on the open A to the position of the E on the open D
is different than the C to E relationship on open G to Open B. I was expecting the shape of the C scale to be the same?

Originally Posted by: mbgold78When I look at a picture of the fretboard for example http://www.guitar-instruction-video.com/fretbo3.jpg
I see the position of the C on the open A to the position of the E on the open D
is different than the C to E relationship on open G to Open B. I was expecting the shape of the C scale to be the same?

That's because the distance fron the G string to the B string is a major 3rd (4 frets). Whereas the distance between all other strings is a 4th (5 frets).

This means any fretboard pattern that crosses over the G and B strings will be "shifted over" one fret.

Make sense?

Yes makes perfect sense thanks.

Originally Posted by: mbgold78Yes makes perfect sense thanks.

OK, good deal!