You have already learned intervals going straight down the fretboard, and you already know the amount of steps for each interval so let's apply this concept. Now let's look at the major scale pattern (For more info on the major scale, go to Lesson 13: The Major Scale).
Figure 1 Pattern
2: E Major Scale |
Now let's extract a one octave scale from this pattern (shown below)
Figure 2 Pattern
2: E Major Scale (1 Octave) |
Here's the tab for the 1 octave scale given above. 
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Now let us look at the intervals taken in the major scale.
(shown below)
Figure 3
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Now with all of this information in front of us we can get started. Notice that in figure 3 that the major scale is comprised of whole and 1/2 steps. You know from Lesson 11 that a whole step is a major 2nd and a 1/2 step is a minor 2nd. So let's examine the major scale.
The E Major Scale
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When you look at figure 3 you learn the steps of the scale
so lets convert this into words to deal with intervals. The major scale
would go like this.
Major 2nd - Major 2nd
- Minor 2nd - Major 2nd
- Major 2nd - Major 2nd
- Minor 2nd
Another way to show intervals in the major scale is to show them in relation
to the root note.
For example: E to B or E to C# or E to F# ...
Let's look at this.
| Notes | Interval |
| E to F# | Major 2nd |
| E to G# | Major 3rd |
| E to A | Perfect 4th |
| E to B | Perfect 5th |
| E to C# | Major 6th |
| E to D# | Major 7th |
| E to E | Octave |
Now let's see how this relates to the E major scale (1 Octave).
Now here's the tab for the diagram above
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When you do this you are not just restricted to using the major scale. You can also use the modes (shown in Lesson 14: Modes). All you have to do is take the interval chart (like in figure 3) that I gave with each mode in lesson 14, then you proceed from there.