Now letвЂ™s work our way UP in pitch along the fretboard beginning with the Open 5th string, A:В A A# B C C# D D# E F F# G G#. So remember: down in pitch is flat, up in pitch is sharp.ДЎ0. For example, this is A Ab G Gb F E Eb D Db C B Bb and the open A string. To illustrate this, letвЂ™s start with the random note A and work our way down (in pitch) along the fretboard. A Chromatic Scale can move up in pitchвЂ¦ or down in pitch. Sharp is one note, or fret, higher in pitch, and Flat is one note, or fret, lower in pitch.Д©. And there we have another one- octave chromatic scale played in the key of D.ДЁ. Now letвЂ™s play a chromatic scale beginning with the random note D: D D# E F F# G G# A A# B C and C#. Starting on any note, in this case E, and moving up 12 notes in pitch, is what we call an octave.Д§. Having played our 12-note chromatic scale, if we were to continue where we left off, weвЂ™d begin again with notes E F F# G G# A etc. In other words, thereвЂ™s no such thing as a B# or E#. Remember, there are no relative sharps for notes B & E. HereвЂ™s a Chromatic Scale beginning with the open E string: E F F# G G# A A# B C C# D D#. For example: letвЂ™s begin with the note F# G G# A A# B C C# D D# E FД¦.

It simply means playing one note after another, in consecutive order, one fret at a time. A Chromatic Scale can begin on any note on the fretboard. A Sharp (#) is simply one note, or fret, higher in pitch on your fretboard.ДҐ. Memorizing this musical alphabet will benefit you greatly going forward!Д¤. And there we have our 12-note musical alphabet, upon which the music we listen to (in the Western world) is based. Remember, notes B & E do not have relative sharp notes.ДЈ. Each of these notes also has a relative sharp note, except for notes B & E: A A# B C C# D D# E F F# G G#. LetвЂ™s begin by memorizing the notes of our musical alphabet: A B C D E F GДў. Make sure you finger it one-finger-per-fret.Welcome to this Guitar Lesson on Understanding the Chromatic Scale.ДЎ. Play the E chromatic scale as shown in the diagram. You play the open string, 1st fret, 2nd fret, 3rd fret, 4th fret, next open string, 1st fret, 2nd fret, and so onвЂ¦ Using open strings while in first position makes the chromatic scale easy to play. One-Octave Chromatic Scale Fingering in First Position In third position your first finger plays notes on fret 3, 2nd finger on fret 4, 3rd finger on fret 5, and 4th finger on fret 6. If you are in 1st position your first finger is on the 1st fret, 2nd finger on the 2nd fret, 3rd on the 3rd fret, and 4th on 4th fret. Your other fingers should follow one-finger-per-fret from there. Position refers to where on the fretboard your first finger (index finger) is located. That is the main reason I am beginning with this scale. Most importantly, learning the chromatic scale will help you understand the way notes are arranged on the fretboard. You donвЂ™t use all of it at once, but in a sense you use it all the time.

It is much like learning the periodic table of the elements in chemistry or the color wheel in art.

You probably wonвЂ™t play this scale a lot outright, but all the other scales and patterns you will learn and play will fit within it. The chromatic scale is constructed entirely of half-steps В— no notes are skipped. A one-octave chromatic scale is all 12 notes within a one-octave range.Д¬hromatic means from one note to the very next, or in half-steps. The chromatic scale consists of all 12 notes of the musical alphabet.

A chromatic scale