Scale pattern help

If you are having trouble reading scale pattern diagrams then this handy chart will help.

1. This is the name of the scale with the corresponding pattern number.
2. These are string number indicators, the 1^st string is the skinniest string on your guitar and the 6^th is the thickest.
3. These solid dots represent a fretted string. You fret a string using your fingers.
4. These solid dots with a circle around them represent the tonic of the scale, in this example the tonic is the note A.
5. This is the staff with the scale pattern represented in musical notation.
6. This is guitar tabalture with the scale pattern represented by string and fret numbers.
7. The circled number represents the tonic of the scale, in this example the tonic is the note A.
8. This is the key signature that the scale is in, in this example the key is A major.

You can also download or print Scale pattern reading guide.