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The Fretboard in the Key of E (Cheat Sheet)

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As promised, here is the download link to the cheat sheet that has all the notes in the key of E.

Fretboard in EAs you can see, there are four different scale patterns shown in boxes. E major is shown both in open position as well as at the 12th fret in the standard box shape.

In orange you will see all of the E’s marked on the fretboard. Pay close attention, because this is an important gaming pattern (the octave).

Download the Cheat Sheet

(Right click on the link and select ‘Save Target As’)

Basically, each box represents a spot where you can play the scale in the key of E. These are all diatonic – not pentatonic. I’ll explain the difference there in another post.

Click Here To Get The Guitar Scale Patterns Lesson Now

IMPORTANT:

If you’re just getting started with guitar scales, its quite possible this cheat sheet might be a bit over your head. I go into quite a bit of detail on the patterns on this sheet, as well as many more in the Guitar Scale Patterns lesson. It is over 2 hours of video, going into detail on the online gaming different patterns that are on the guitar fretboard – why they’re there, how to find them, and most importantly, how to use them.

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Click Here To Get The Guitar Scale Patterns Lesson Now

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  1. Hey Billy,

    The E’s are orange because they are the root note for that key. It’s always helpful to know where the root note is, as your solos can resolve themselves on those notes very easily.

    Also, it gives some perspective when you’re looking at the cheat sheet to find different patterns.

  2. O.K. I got your Cheat Sheet But how is it used?? And…. how does it differ from scales (Pentatonic, Blues Etc.)???? can you give some examples (or samples)
    Thanx jjh

  3. Hi John, I just uploaded a video that hopefully will answer part of your question. Let me know if I can explain further…

  4. jonathan you rock dude. Thanks man thats some interesting stuff.
    I like breaking this stuff down like this and figuring out new ways to figure stuff out but this is awesome. Thanks again man !

    Michael
    El Paso, TX

  5. Gloumiko, Michael – thanks guys!

    Richard – don’t worry – lots of people the same age as you are just getting started… its a great time to learn guitar!

  6. I want to say thanks for the cheat sheet, and I’ll let you know in a couple days how it works out for me. Thanks Again!

  7. I cannot get this to download. What program do I need to get the to download. Can you send it another way?

    Thanks!

    Steve

  8. Hi Bill – the answer to that question will be different for everyone. A big part of it is the music you like – if you prefer music that generally uses electric, then go with that, and vice versa.

    Electrics are a little easier to play, in the sense that it takes less finger strength to play them, but I and countless others originally learned on acoustic. I’d say biggest thing is music preference…

  9. My case isn’t a scale pattern of any kind to tell you the truth,
    i have an interest in writing my own bluegrass songs. and i was directed to you from http://www.ehow.com, it’s obvious that i haven’t been a fan of website links pages to begin with. And
    was going to ask how can i write my own bluegrass songs?

  10. Johnathan,absolutely great,dude!Thanks! Please keep up the good work.Like Dean says,we really appreciate it.

  11. This is really cool. I think it is a great aid to learning what the hell to do after you learns the chords.
    Thanks

  12. Thanks for the cheat sheet guy,I’m 53 and trying to learn, I dont understand the sheet even after watching your video but I’ll be looking for new updates.

  13. in the dvd do you spend time on the finger patterns for scales so far i like what i see

  14. hello jonathan

    i downloaded cheat sheet for key of E but could,nt open file to read it

  15. Thank you, Jonathan, for the DVD and the Cheat Sheet.
    I will be going offline on Apr. 14th and will have another e-address in Canada,returning again in early Nov. on desoto.net again. The cheat sheet will also be a great help.
    Will keep in touch!
    Sam.

  16. John I am looking for the tab for BB King’s Hummingbird. Can you give me some direction. Thanks

  17. Thanks for your help. I learn better by watching. How about putting on a background track in E and blending the E major notes with the C#m notes over the track? Isn’t that the main purpose of your cheat sheet? To show how to connect different patterns on the fretboard played over the same key?

  18. Hi Will, yeah, that’s an excellent idea. By your very suggestion, it sounds like you’ve ‘got it’ already. Cheers.

  19. Hey Jonathan…
    Thanks a lot for the Scale Pattern pdf…really.
    I think that’s from an old Mel Bay that I have, but it’s always really good to review the basics of the fretboard.
    With all the great ‘shredders’ out there, while practicing, I sometimes find myself falling into a ‘shred mode w/ a lot of tapping, ‘n whatnot, alld straying way too far from the basics of the fretboard…so Thank You!
    Peace…
    MJ

  20. I’d like to hookup with some info on lead riffs and shuch so I can understand better how to tie the box patterns together,the cheet sheets realy help to see my fret board in a new way.thanks for the eye opener.Later…Tim

  21. I’m a newby when comes to guitar playing, being self taught & having a teacher for a shot time I find my way around the fret board & my teacher helped fill in som of the blanks. Now that my teacher is gone & I’m having trouble finding another I find myself strugglin to teach myself, well with some websites and my books I manage to some degree,but with your cheat sheet and my soon to come I VI V DVD I’m able to move foward & feel as if I’m doing something. Thanx Man
    KW

  22. Thank you so much man. I am a VERY VISUAL person and seeing it set up like this with the different colors representing the diff. notes makes is easy…This clears up so many questions. Thank you for doing this for us. GOD Bless

  23. I got my I IV V DVD this week & I took a look at it. I must say it was worth every penny, my only concern is the last 30 sec of the bar cord section stop. Is there anything that I should know with in that last 30 sec, if so could you go over that last portion of bar cords on line.

    Thanx, Keith

  24. Thanks, This is a good tool for us dummies or slow learners like myself out here. I thank you and so will the wife. Maybe now things will sound like a real song!!!!
    Rick

  25. Hey! super helpful! i’ve taken classes and always wondered about the box patterns! teachers always wanted to stick to the pentatonic scale or the blues scale! grrr it makes much more sense! thanks for the cheatsheet! 🙂

  26. Thanks, I’m just having trouble reading the scales and labels off to the side because the fretboard illustration is so small.

    Also, you might consider displaying the fretboard horizontally, as the perspective would be if one were looking at a guitar neck in hand.

  27. Hi Thomas – good idea on the horizontal fretboard – did you actually download the file though? You can blow it up nice and large on your computer, or print it off with the actual PDF version. Just click on the link or on the picture at the top of this page….

  28. Hey Jonathan

    I downloaded the cheat sheet (many thanks) but the text to the right
    of the fretboard is garbled-I know it’s the identity of the key positions but I can’t read them.

    I have a Mac-any thoughts?

    Michael

  29. Hi Michael, I would recommend re-downloading the file, as I’ve just tried it (also on a Mac) and the file seems fine. I suspect somehow it got garbled up in the download…

  30. Jonathan, i got the cheat sheet but don’t understand it. I noticed you sent a dvd download to explain it to another person, I would like the same if possible. Thanks a million and if i get this figured out I’ll sent you another reply.

  31. Hey Jon, I have the cheat sheet for the key of E, & I keep getting more for the same. Can I get a cheat sheet in another Key like maybe A or C.

  32. This is perfect for me since I sing many of my songs in the Key of E. I’m not a lead guitar player, but I do play a lot of riffs.

    Thanks!

    Miguelazo from El Paso, Texas

  33. This sheet is very interesting. The E major is understandable why we should know it. However, how many songs are in C# Minor? And what’s a root 5 & 6? HAT

  34. Hi HAT – all of the patterns on that cheatsheet are playable in the key of E major. You can use the C#m scale as it is the relative minor of E major… I talk about this in the lesson much more. The root 5 and 6 refer to the string # that the pattern root is found on.

  35. Kinda hard to see your fingers when you are doing the taping without a close-up shot.

    How about TABS to help make it clear(er)?

  36. Hi DJ – that’s why I created the cheatsheet – its a far more flexible and versatile way of showing a scale pattern…

  37. thank you, for the workable sheet of scales, guess i;ll practice them for awhile still working on cords and struming and note playing with jamarama. looking forward to getting into the guts of this guitar. have a great weekend keith

  38. Hello DJ, Just wondering why you didn’t show the kids a useful pattern like a Em scale? Seems like most of your audience would be interested in contemporary music, not musicals. Just wondering why, I have been playing for 44 yrs and I still focus mostly on a minor pattern and vary after that.

  39. it’s just a scale. the scale is the same anywhere on the fretboard. not helpful at all. certainly does not live up to advertised claims. good luck to you.

  40. I’m a beginner and it is very helpful to me,I wish I had one for each major note. Thank you

  41. Finally got a chance to print the Key of E Scale with the fret board note identification and I have laminated this and will use it along with several other teaching aides that I have to study from. It is very helpful.

    Thank you and I am going to order your DVD.

    Look forward to learning more from you.

  42. The Fretboard in the Key of E graphic with the notes colored in blue and the E note in orange that I have downloaded, shows the C# Minor (Root 5} box with C# on the 2nd String/3rd fret and C# on the 4th string/6th fret.

    I am confused with the “Root” delineating the string and your Fretboard in the Key of E showing the C# Minor (Root 5) box with the 5th string not having a C#.

    Please explain.

  43. Hi Rafe,

    I think you’re approaching the string numbers backwards… the first string is the one on the far right, and then they work back towards the left. In other words, when you’re playing the guitar, the first string is the one closest to the ground, and the one that has the highest pitch.

    Therefore, the first C# in that box is on the 5th string, not the 2nd. Cheers.

  44. Hello thanks for the reply
    I found you through an add. Your add asked a question..”which key scale would you use to play a solo in the key of E major…I looked the choices over and went to c#major cause I knew it was the relative minor scale and answer your quiz correctly…I am well fluent in music theory reguarding chords and can spell any maj, min, dim, aug in a flash. I decided to look into scales recently cause Im not as masterly there as I am with harmony(chords)I have studies scales and sort of know my way a bit but I alway had a hard time when it comes to imprvise lead solos in a jam. I can figure it out if I play with it long enough but I use basicaly three..dorian…major…rel.min and blues. those im most famillar with the others I know but have found how to use them yet. I need to do like others do when they are jaming..sometimes I dont know what scale or mode to choose. So I hope to get some tips from you cheat sheet thanks…but did you know that you can actualy play any scale against a major key and it will work..if you work it right…thanks

  45. If you want to get a complete list of all the scales and modes for EVERY scale and EVERY mode, get the Guitar Grimoire for Scales and Modes. Has all the cheat sheets for everything, plus exercises.

    In order to play these in a solo, you need to have an understanding of how they correlate with each other. What happens if you show up to jam and you have to ask what key the song is in? There is no shortcut for knowing what is needed to solo effectively and creatively.

    Sorry buddy, you just miss the target by a whole bunch. Good luck to you.

  46. Hi Josh, the intent of this FREE cheatsheet is not to teach everything one needs to know about scales – it is to show what can be done, and takes a common key for that example. In my Guitar Scale Patterns lesson I get into all the other things you mentioned, plus a LOT more.

  47. Thank you!
    I am a beginner hoping this will help me.
    need some time to find out.
    Appreciate your help.

  48. Jonathan,
    I purchased Guitar Scale Patterns video, but haven’t been able to find a download for it.

  49. i just checked this out, though i may not be in absolute agreement w/ some aspects of these approaches, i don’t see why some of you critics are acting like a bunch of chicks who need their kitty kitter changed..depending on the student , this info might just be the thing that ‘gets them over the wall’..not for me necessarily, but i can think of a couple of students i have had who would have benefited from this simple presentation..and..this old 70’s hippie dog who knows his way up and down a guitar neck pretty well sees the benefits of what this guy is sharing..

  50. Hi Zach, The C# minor scale is included because it is the same scale as E major – just starting on a different note. When you go to solo in the key of E major, you need to know all the places on the neck where you can play, and therefore the minor scale is very important. Cheers.

  51. johnathan, these are major minir scales, in your extended lessons do you go over pentatonic scales? it seems major and minor pentatonic scales are the same, thanks jc

  52. Hi JC, yes, I talk about pentatonic as well in the lesson – though you will find pentatonic major / minor are also the same.. in fact they are exactly the same as the diatonic scales, but for pentatonic you remove 2 notes. So the best way to go is to learn diatonic first, and then see how the pentatonic is related.

  53. Why is there a requirement for a password to be entered if a person is thinking about ordering??

  54. The password is for access to the member’s area. You supply whatever you want to use as your password in order to enter the member’s area in the future.

  55. I love to browse different sites and I always look and take advantage of free instuction and have found alot to be useful.I can say that some has not been wrong it is just the experience that some veiwers dont have that causes them to think what is wrong is what they lack in knowledge.So in short dont be critical of what you dont know just ask jonathon to teach you.Besides you must not know what he is explaining or you would not be reading or visiting this site you would be teaching like he is.Thx jonathon god bless.jeff.

  56. i just received the first cheat sheet and wanted to say thank you, i will look at it and get back with you, thanks agin

  57. Hi Ellen – as long as your guitar is tuned to standard tuning (EADGBE) then these patterns will work for you… sorry I don’t have mirror image versions though, but I think you could get that if you photocopied and flipped it.

    Or, take a piece of paper and copy the pattern across to a blank fretboard – this would be excellent practice as well.

  58. I just wanted to Ditto what Mike Hood Said. I appreciate anything free that can help me get better. it’s anybody’s choice to use a different lesson. If I get something from this, I’ll buy a DVD.

  59. It looks as though you only use the Ionian, Phrygian, Aeolian, and Locrian.
    Personally I like playing in the Dorian, Phrygian, Mixolydian, and Aeolian Modes.
    Why not show all the modes in this cheat sheet sinec there are only seven of them?

  60. i can’t get the cheat sheet to show . a adobe screen opens but it’s blank? not being very computer literate, Help.

  61. Thanks, I downloaded the scales a while back when you first introduced it then after a couple of weeks got involved in something else that I was interested in, a lot of Blues, have not mastered anything really yet, I play some pretty good country but after looking at your latest note, I went back to the scale and will work on them a while. I normally do not try to memorize much, at least I did not at first but now am trying to get the patterns memorized. I have been following your free lessons since I found out about them and if I can do anything with this fretboard download I will order up the course. Thanks for your time, I know time is money and you are giving a lot of it away. Just want to know you are appreciated. Some of the notes I have read seem to want you to teach them to be a Guitar God overnight and for free. Sorry about that for them, they should find out that life doesn’t work that way. Gene

  62. Hi Gene – right you are… like anything in life, learning guitar takes a lot of time and effort… but the reward is well worth it! Cheers.

  63. Jonathan, I was leery about your scales CD but decided to finally try it. Bear in mind I have Guitar Grimoir book and stacks of other Guitar Theory Books. I Play by ear and can read Tab but just needed to “put it all together ” so to speak because Music Theory has always been difficult for me to grasp.

    I am thrilled with the way you lay this out….easy to understand. My guitar playing ability is exploding and The Guitar Grimoire book will not go to waste as I can grasp that later. Thanks for putting this together, it’s exactly what I need to study and practice daily and will plan to check out more in the future.

  64. Hey, maybe some of the guys here are missing the point. You are giving something of value away (although not completely explained) in an attempt to show you have something to offer. Of course it’s not complete, can you say marketing?

    See: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HS-6mYEltmQ
    for a vid of me fronting a little blues trio, just to show that I’ve been playing a minute and may have a relevant opinion…

    We all learn a little differently and we are all on different spots on the guitar road…maybe we work more on finding the similarities and good points and present constructive criticism in the spirit of musicians helping musicians. And no, I didn’t find the cheat sheet all that helpful, but as I said, I read no explanations of how the sheet may be used in a constructive fashion. But I really don’t use this stuff that much. If you bother to check the vid for a sec, you’ll see what I mean…blurusmokes@yahoo.com

  65. Hello Jonathan,
    I hope this message finds you well.
    First, depending on the progression any of the scales work in E. I picked C# minor ( the obvious choice being the relative minor). A works great (Lydian), being based on the perfect 4th, B is actually one of my favorites mid stream ( although I usually use a pentatonic 1,3,11 (4th),5,b7. Em is great over I,IV,V progressions, I especially like pedaling between the parallel major to minor and vice versa via the major 3rd and major 6th…… makes for very interesting melody and harmonic tensions. Lastly going back to A, have you ever tried playing all your chord scales in the dorian….. it produces a beautiful effect….but only over the root chord …… however the same idea can be applied to the IV, and V chords very effectively.

    Sincerely,
    Reilly

  66. Hi Reilly, sounds like you’ve got a good handle on your various scales & associated theory! Cheers…

  67. thank you for the knowledge…i’m so tired of my guitar playing being made fun of…i love the guitar! someday i’ll write a hit song, and thanks to the great people who i could learn from, and were willing to show me riffs and share their knowledge!

  68. I just wanted to say thank you for the free sheet, I never had taken lessons when I was younger i would grab some Mel guitar books and taught myself… I still cant read music, and I cant tell you what note Im playing I just remember what it looks like…. and this way of looking at the frets I understand, you have already open my eyes to a new world on my guitars… I just wanted to say thanks, this so awesome with just setting down one time and getting the big picture….. thanks again… Eddie

  69. This video tells absolutely nothing about how to use the cheat sheet and does not even show the details of what notes you are playing.

    It seems just to be part of the “free” scam where to try to get folks to buy videos of questionable value.

    If this is an example of what you want folks to pay for, then my answer is no way.

  70. Try out the sheet. Play it starting on an E. Any E and play the scale. Forwards and back. The C# minor is the relative minor of the E. Play that box starting on a C# . I’ve been playing for three months. and appreciate that Jonathan has made this available to us. It really helps. I’m sure the video will be very helpful too. good instructors put alot of time and energy into putting these things together. I am just wise enough to know that if something can help you reach your goals. It has value. 30.00 is cheap that is a half hour lesson with a live instructor. And you wont learn this idea for maybe 20 or so lessons…Ie. 600.00. P.S. you can use this sheet to see the 5 or 6th string root note pattern for any minor or major key the pattern is the same. Keep up the good work Jonathan. Thank You. PPS. idea for you. Sell a booklet on how to memorize the fretboard. 4th’s 5th’s diag patterns neumonics. and whatever else I didn’t mention. I am learning it well but would be willing to pay for a more detailed roadmap.

  71. For any other newbies. Any major scale follows this format Whole, Whole Half whole whole whole half. Ez example C major C-D is a whole(meaning a fret between the C and D. D-E whole, Then half E-F cause their is no sharp or flat between b-c or e-f. If you look on a piano it will make more sense. The black notes are sharp/flat notes. On a guitar you could play cdefgabc making the c major scale. You could play horizontally. String 2 fret 1 (c) 2 frets up towards the neck to d, 2 up to e, 1 up to f, 2 up to g,2 up to a, 2 up to b, and 1 up to C that is the c major scale. According to Jonathans scale. You could transcribe it. Start on string 6 fret 8 C. 2 frets to the right is d. Jump down to string 5, fret 7 is e. Fret 8 is f.Fret 10 is g. Drop down to string 4. Fret 7 is a. Fret 9 is B. and fret 10 is c. Think and sing along to do re mi.if you hit a wrong note you’ll hear it. Find all the c’s on the fretboard. Start at any other c and either go horizontally. O r move horiz for 3 notes in the key then drop down a string and find the next note in the sequence. Hope this helps

  72. The E7 chord is nothing but the FIFTH interval of the A MAJOR scale, and just play licks around that scale ANYWHERE on the guitar neck. The other chords in that scale are these
    A MAJOR, B MINOR, C# MINOR, D MAJOR, E 7, F# MINOR, and
    G# MINOR 7, FLAT 5. That is the diatonic major scale and then a guitarist does not have to worry about WHICH fret to do whatever,just play notes within that scale. However, if a musician wants, they can exapand the E 7 to include, E WHOLE TONE scale, F DIMINISHED scale, and other scales. In other words, if you call the E 7 like E7 b5, E7 #5, E7 b9 or E7 #9, etc etc. For a guitarist, it helps to KNOW the notes on the fingerboard and NOT get into cliche patterns as pop musicians are into. Thanks for reading

  73. You guys have come up with a way to make even me sound like i know what i’m doing. Great job keep it coming. We know how to rock in Detroit MI.

  74. Thanks for the help. I am in my 50’s and still learning how to play. I guess I started late. Any way I am playing with my church band playing contemporary Christian music. This will help me to learn where the cords are beyond the fifth fret. Thanks again

  75. patterns are the way i learned barre chords, so it only makes sense to learn lead the same way, will be ordering your vid lesson

  76. Hi John, nice work. I’m an older guy, 50’s, been self teaching for 2 years now. Still stumble a lot on terminology, I’m not a music major by any stretch. I tried learning just music notation alone at first but found myself at a loss when it came to using it on the guitar. I have about 10 or 12 chords memorized and can change among them fairly easily. My job keeps me very busy and I have little time to practice, which is a shame because I really want to improve to the stage of being able to play an assortment of songs well.
    I have a basic understanding of scales, like what they are for and the box shapes etc. what I don’t get is the idea of soloing within a scale. I see really good guitarists jumping all over the neck and say to myself, boy that’s way more than just one scale I think. Or am i wrong? Maybe the hand is faster than the eye but I have a hard time seeing it.
    I also find myself at all times when I practice wanting to play lead in some way, i go off into say the 6th string or the 4th and jump around, it’s almost as if my mind is trying to jump ahead. The problem is I have no teaching to draw from as to how to make that move you know? From a chord to a lead riff and back, I just don’t know where to go for the lead riff to sound right.
    I think I need formal hands on training, I have yet to find a video that fully shows me what I think I need to progress, I’m at that point of stoppage, don’t know enough to be smart at it I guess, no formal training I think is a very big hindrance to making that leap over that mystical barrier separating beginners and journeyman.
    Your thoughts for a frustrated old coot would be very helpful, thanks.
    Gary Adams
    Glen St. Mary, Fl.

  77. Hi Gary,

    To answer your question, yes it is all the same scale, as the scale is replicated many times all over the fretboard. However, the trick is they’re using several different scale patterns – ie different places to play that same scale on the fretboard. You can see that from the cheatsheet here.

    My Guitar Scale Patterns lesson digs into this whole topic in a lot more detail; the trick is first understanding the scale, and then second, seeing how it is replicated across the fretboard. Of course after that you need to practice the scale in a few different patterns (some call them boxes)j on the neck, so that your fingers become used to playing them, and then learn how to connect them as well.

    Hope that helps,

    Jonathan

  78. I am looking forward to using the information. I am at a point in my music life that I want to expand my knowledge and skills. It looks like this is what I have needed and didn’t know it.
    Thanks

  79. I don’t have a printer right now… What I really want is access to a web site that has accurate tab

  80. Thanks for all this Jonathan–you are a good teacher. I have had quite a few “light-bulb” moments with the DVD. I know about half the theory stuff from years ago. But seeing how everything works together has spurred me to do the writing parts, notating the scales on the fretboard, which makes me eager to work on the guitar itself. I am an old coot as well, playing in a band of mostly younger folks. We’re doing well, but I want to contribute more than just my rhythm guitar stuff. I’m confident your course will help a lot. You really psyched me up!

  81. Jon, good stuff. I’m not sure what you mean by Root 5, 6, etc. What does that mean? At first I thought you were talking degrees of the E major scale but that isn’t working out. Thanks!

    Mark

  82. the chheat sheet is good thanx iv printed it on my wall i just keep doin it and im gettin better

  83. I think what your doing is great and I thank you so very much. I do have one question how do you figure out what notes are harmonic to each other. Like what note is harmonic to the G?
    Thanks for you help and Merry Christmas.
    Ed

  84. It’s very kind of you to SOOOOo very patiently deal with questions in a manner that teaches with clarity and precision. Very kind indeed. Thank you. May good and great things happen to you and for you.

  85. You are working with an old guitarist who has not picked up his axe in over 20 years, so pardon the ignorance. the sheet down loaded perfectly but my music theory is somewhere back in the ’70’s and I did not understand the color coating or the scale. The E major scale I remember did not quite match what I understood you sheet to represent may be you could explain to an ” old fart” a little more of what I am seeing.

    I am really excited to learn the scales and how to play lead, back up lead, accompanying lead and very happy that I can find these things on line.

    Thanks for all you work,

    Musically

    Don

  86. very interesting. I have played guitar for fun and professionally since I was 12 years old. I play by ear. Don’t read music but I’ve always wanted to make sense of what I play.

  87. Will this cheat sheet work for country guitar licks as well. I’m not a lead guitarist but I’m trying to learn how to play lead. I’ve played rhythm for 51 years self taught so I need sort of a DIY for dummies.

  88. Jonathan Thanks, can all the E chord progressions on the fretboard be done with F chord fingering for the E notes
    down the neck where the F chord fingering would fit and how would you finger the open E for E chord on the left side ?

  89. I understand that C#m scale = E major scale, but could you explain “Root 5 and Root 6”? Were in E major key here and the 5th & 6th notes in E would be B and C#… so were not talking about scale positions in the key of E… Hmmm.

  90. Don’t you really need to figure out from the chord sequence in the chart, which scale to solo in? There may be several choices for a minor chord, and shouldn’t you look at the chords that come after? Are they a II-V? or something different? Shouldn’t you play a diminished scale over a diminshed chord, starting to solo on any of the four notes involved? It seems more complicated than you are saying

  91. Hi Michael – as long as the song is in the key of E major, or C# minor for that matter – you can use any of the patterns shown on this sheet. Try it out, and you’ll see what I mean.

  92. Jonathan, I’ve got a fairly small Fender amp that has four switches you push in for normal or bright or crunch drive or
    lead drive and it has a special loop jacks, but my question is
    getting the sound out of it like yours when playin the scales
    what do you recon I need ??? Thanks

  93. After only 50 years of playing rhythm guitar I’m ready to venture into the unknown. Thanks for the info. This is not as bad as I thought it would be.

  94. I wanted to get some info for my 9 year old grandson as he was interested in playing a guitar. But you know young boys, one day they want something but as soon as they find that they must work for it, they lose the interest. So,please,do not mail me any materials yet ,as my son will get in touch with you himself., if his boy is still interested. Thank you very much for doing such a rewarding service
    Maria Batlik

  95. Thanks for the info.Mabe some sheet music with chords
    and notes displayed by string number and frett location
    would be great.

  96. Dear Jonathan,
    I know nothing about playing a guitar, but I have a desire to learn. I’m a young woman in my 60’s. Is there hope for me?
    Thank you for the information you are so generously sending.
    Best Regards, Shirley

  97. man, everytime that I try to download that scale sheet it starts up and then it just goes black, and thats it

  98. Great info. I have to say thanks for teaching all the ones who need to understand this. It boils down to octives on the fret board. Just like on a piano, the major notes are in increments of eight called an octive. Remember? Doe, rea, me, fa, so, la, tee, doe. The scale begins with doe and eight notes later ends with doe. ONE OCTIVE. It then repeats its self all over again. Anything inbetween is either a sharp, a flat and fractions of, after that. (5ths., 7ths., 9th., even “augmented”.)
    I do have a question though, you mentitioned the E scale, do you have any other scales I can look at like maybe the C blues Scale? Thanks again on behalf of all the musicians learning and cranking out the tunes via their CD players and trying to catch on.

  99. Hi Jonathan,

    My understanding was that when someone says “play in E” that it meant using an E minor scale. In reference to the E fretboard and your comments, you indicate that “play in E” means E major. HThis is part of my confusion-how do you tell which scale to use when someone says a song is in E?
    Thanks,
    Steve

  100. hey thnx for this imfo!! but your down load is in computer language!!! it says to open w a notepad file and i did , and saw computer language !!! no scale at all!!! fun, i know all the theory on scales! just was found to still search for interesting imfo!! and your down load did not show what your explaining here!! but am sure is great imfo for the early guitar palyer to know.

  101. You do a great job of providing things useful to all levels of guitar players; (35 years for me). Keep it up !!

    Best Regards, Dan

  102. Congratulations to everyone posting problems and discussion . I have just read and it seems that everyone is on the same curve of understanding,just at different points. Persistance and perhaps asking second opinions to clear up misunderstood areas will overcome all.I just wanted to pass on my thoughts on practice.I am mid 50’s, loved music at school (won music prize piano /theory) but in taking up guitar in last year , I struggle to get the practice momentum to get over these humps we experience.My solution was to build a travel guitar and keep in car boot, steal 15-20 mins every day in stead of wasting time waiting, It seems to work, at least is consistent !. I have recently upgraded to a pignose travel guitar – fabulous ! . Take care all you yankees ! Tim

  103. Thanks for the tips Iv’e been playin since I was a wee tike although in my twenties the gigs in the bars & clubs were a blast however now in my early forties I am focusing on scale therory and speeding up my chops. I recently watched some footage from Al Demeola talk about inspiring. Gives me something to work toward. Keep pickin all. Music is my high

  104. Good Stuff, I’m getting back into Guitar and Keyboards after 30 years of being away from them, wish I’d never made that mistake but lesssons like this elp me have some one while I get back the fundamentals, oh yeah and the hand strength !

  105. Thanks for the cheat sheet man. Even though I’m a “lefty” I can read it all backwards, been doing things like this for years. Thanks again.

  106. Ok, the dumbest question of all. How do i read these? I assume the top fret is the top fret. Do I go down the neck, pressing the blue areas? Noting that the “E’s” are orange? Am I supposed to play fret 1 with finger 1, 2 with finger 2, etc.? and then when I get to the 5th? start over?
    Thanks so much ! I’ve been playing guitar (uneducatedly) for many years. Time to knuckle down. Pardon the pun.

  107. Hey, this stuff is great for straters as far as modes theory!! u doin a good job. i wish i had patiance to teach !!!!

  108. If It’s possible, I’m looking for Bass Guitar Scales. I hope you can help me.

  109. I’m looking for Bass Guitar Scales. I’m hoping you can help me out.

  110. Hey I want to that you for the scales, I havent played much since my Dad died in 83, he taught me by ear and know I really want to master this thing, is there any certain scale progression I should use? Thanks for your help. Steve

  111. I have a feeling I’m going to get a LOT out of this. Any chance of a pentatonic sheet? (I’m a blues freak).

  112. Hi,
    I am a newbie and definitely fear the scales. Oftentimes, I asked myself: “Do I have to learn them?” But after you explain and show the “cheatsheet” and how useful it was, I change my mind and realized that “scales” are a must to learn.
    Thank you Jonathan!!!

  113. im sorry to say but your little so called cheatsheet doesnt help at all and these things are all over the internet for free with nothing to download and they all cover a lot more than yours does, the thing that everyone needs to learn is how to use them. you can memorize patterns all day long and it wont help unless you know exactly how to use them, i have been trying for two years to figure it out looking at lesson after lesson and no one covers it at all. i dont mean to be rude or to undermine your teaching.

  114. For all those having trouble reading this. What you want to do is picture holding your guitar out in front of you with the body of the guitar facing down and the neck is pointing up facing you. As you can see, the neck looks like what he is showing you on paper. I believe this is called “Tablasure” and allot of music books use it. Now as you can see on the sheet the first note is on the second fret. Start out with your index finger. Now move up to the forth fret with your ring finger trying to keep your hand in the same position. You can move it a little but you want to get those fingers stretching and over time you should be able to reach them with no problem. Use your pinky on the fifth fret and for now ignore anything else above the fifth fret until you have memorized the first, second, forth and fifth frets. These are all considered one scale from the sixth string up to the first string. Again, ignore EVERYTHING above the sixth fret. These are the notes you will use if someone was play rhythm (yourself)in the key of E as an E cord. Have some fun and do both. Play an E cord, use some of the new notes you have just learned and then play an A# (A Minor) and use more of the new notes you have just learned. With practice, you can join a Mariachi band playing Latino music.

  115. Taking up guitar again after 25 yrs…I will def order your product…I think it’s brilliant…I also want a total brush-up on the chords…I mostly played rythym…all chords all the time…your scales and what you think is the best way to relearn the chords- very nice…what is the best way to incorporate your scales with the old chords? Thank You in advance, Vinnie D.

  116. I ordered your Guitar scale patterns both the down load and the DVD I can’t open the down load it says a system error and the sound is bad on the DVD

    Thanks

    John

  117. Hi Jonathan,

    I have enjoyed your lessons, thank you for you time and consideration in helping those who want to improve….

    I have played guitar off and on since I was 12 yrs. old and I am now 63….

    I am constantly trying to improve….

    Real Peace and Happiness to you ….

    Bobby

  118. Hi yall,
    I’m just beginning to learn the guitar. I can already see that my guitar is harder to play on than my cousin, Donna’s. The neck on mine is wider and the strings are higher up from wood than hers. Can you recommend a pocket friendly guitar for someone with small hands to play on who’s just starting out? Please?

  119. Hi

    I am doing a bucket list and for my 60th birthday I wanted to learn to play the guitar. Can someone suggest a good guitar to learn on — I have one but while tuning my strings have been breaking and the body is very wide for my frame. Can anyone help? Thanks
    Maureen

  120. Jonathan, your demo on the cheatsheet is cool. this should open up some doors for me thanks!

  121. dear jo i have been observing your two guitar course for sometime know,guitar pattern and 1 4 5 course,it seems that they are two great course,but i think that u should sell it in a pakage that means both course together,freight will cost less and will be a great advantage for overseas student like me who lives far away,i hope u will understand my point of view.
    all the best rama from seychelles

  122. scales? how to apply ’em? I am not fluent in scales i get to a point where i go blank wish you could help me with this, wish i could go up and dwn the frets as easy as i ‘ve seen others do, is it a lot of practice? the mor i practice the more mistakes i make, i don’t seem to have a handle on that.

  123. I ‘M A PRETTY GOOD GUITAR PLAYER, SELF TAUGHT,MY LEAD PLAYING IS NOT SO GOOD. I PLAY BY EAR.I’M TRYING TO LEARN THE NAME OF CHORDS I’M PLAYING.THAT WILL HELP WHEN I’M JAMMING WITH SOME GUYS.THAT CHEAT SHEET WAS A LITTLE OVER MY HEAD.BUT THANKS.

  124. Got the cheat sheet 30 minutes ago.Hey I get it.You still have to use brain power but it speeds up the learning curve.Thanks,Tracy D

  125. nice chart here ,,, good info for the new guitar learning fan!! check out my videos on guitar at YouTube cisco2fun1 ,, cool shred stuff you might enjoy watching ,, advanced playing ..

  126. Thanks for the cheat sheet. I am a beginner and have no clue how to do the fingering of what you did on the video. You went way toooooooooooooo fast. It would be good if you slowed down and showed the places on the cheat sheet step by step that match up with the fingering at the time you are doing it. I have no idea which E you started on and where you go after that from note to note. Anyway, thanks for the sheet. Maybe one day I will understand how to use it.

  127. Thanks man i needed that i did play before but it has been years i bought me a guitar because i love to bang around it is soothing to me thanks.

  128. i selected to print out the file of fretbord scales but what i got was 20 som pages of e mails that you recieved in coments. explian this.

  129. Hi Lowell, you have to download the file itself, and print from there. It sounds like you’re just hitting print on the webpage, which will print everything except for the file that is linked. Click on the big Download The Cheat Sheet link at the top of this page…

  130. This is just the type of thing I’m looking for. I have been playing rhythm guitar for 12 years, and want to expand my abilities to playing a little lead once in a while. Money’s tight but I’m open for suggestions. Thank you. Wendy

  131. Jonathan, Great lesson. I’m ordering your scale pattern lesson by mail. I’m sending a check for $26.63 (discounted price). Looking forward to soloing! Rex

  132. I tried to sign up twice this morning and finally using a diff yahoo acct I got it but its not the email I normally use. It was not because of my spam filter either.

  133. i do want to learn more,feeling out chords is rough as for im just getting over a bonemarrow trans plant ! still workin hard at it , as for its about all i can do anymore ! thanks

  134. thank you for the free cheat sheet,but unfortunately i can’t buy your course, because i’m currently unemployed.

  135. Hi Jonathan,
    Already purchased your guitar scales pattern DVD among others and think they are great. Although, with kids, work, etc. I got sidetracked for a long time. I would really like to know the model number of your Takamine guitar used in the video. Has a great deep, mellow sound to it. If you could let me know I would appreciate it. Also, I have some of your older videos where the video quality is not so great, (not a knock on them, probably state of the art at the time) and I was wondering if you did them over and if they can be purchased at a discount if I already purchased the originals? Thankds

  136. this is a very helpful learning tool , i want to further learn but i am moveing in 5 days so purchsing anything would be out of the question till i get internet set up at my new place . out in the boonies . most exellant for practicing guitar . or whole band far as that matters .check back later . thanx

  137. Been playing for several months, but there are some things I really don’t understand, like the different colors and the C# minor (roor 5 and root 6 . Thank you for helping me out with the cheat sheet patterns/ God bless

  138. Yeah, you can see the C#m scale pattern on there as well, which is the relative minor for the key of E.

  139. Gracias por todo lo que ofreces para aprender guitarra.
    Estoy en la tarea de aprender y tu página es muy completa.
    En tus videos de You Tube eres muy claro, aunque mi conocimiento del idioma inglés es bastante limitado. Aprendo y poco a poco lo iré trasladando al español.
    Nuevamente gracias por tu trabajo, me es de gran ayuda.
    Saludos Cordiales
    Migue

  140. Thank you for sending me your email. I personally do not play the guitar but I would like to send your link on to someone who does.

  141. Jonathan, I’m confused. Why do you not hit the G# note on the G string in your video? Am I missing something here?

  142. Which part are you referring to? In the C#m scale, you could play the G# on the G string, if you want, but then you’d be better off shifting into a higher position, because normally you’d hit the G# on the B string instead, to keep the pattern intact and more manageable.

  143. This email confirms my email address for purposes of sending the free “Guitar Scale Patterns”.

  144. Thanks Mike, this diagram are very useful. Best Regards. Miguel Angel. Gracias man

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