How to Solo Within a Key (aka.

“Diatonic
Scale”) Using 5 Patterns/Positions
Video Cliffs:
0:00 – Introduction
2:38 – Quick Review of the Major/Minor Concept
5:50 – Diatonic Position #1
6:45 – Diatonic Position #2
10:30 – Diatonic Position #3
12:24 – Diatonic Position #4
15:15 – Diatonic Position #5
18:30 – Final Words
The Diatonic Scale
If you recall the lesson about the 4 scales you absolutely must know up and down the
fretboard, the first scale that I mentioned was the diatonic scale.
From Wikipedia:

Diatonic Scale – In music theory, a diatonic scale (or heptatonia prima) is a scale
composed of seven distinct pitch classes. The diatonic scale includes five whole steps
and two half steps for each octave, in which the two half steps are separated from each
other by either two or three whole steps, depending on their position in the scale. This
pattern ensures that, in a diatonic scale spanning more than one octave, all the half
steps are maximally separated from each other (i.e. separated by at least two whole
steps).
Basically, the diatonic scale applies to both major and minor keys, which are essentially
the same thing, as explained in the relative major/minor concept lesson.
If the band tells you that the next song is in the “key of C major”, your framework would
be the notes:

CDEFGAB
If you hit those notes, and those notes only, then you would be playing
completely diatonic to the key of C major.
There are C’s, D’s, E’s, F’s, G’s, A’s, and B’s all over the neck of the guitar…it’s just a
matter of figuring out how to know and remember where they are.

And that’s exactly the point of this lesson. The framework that I’m giving you is how to
play diatonic to a key, and I’m doing so by using the “5 pattern/position method”.
These Patterns/Positions Apply to Both Major and Minor Keys
Alternatively, if the band tells you that the song is in the “key of E minor”, your
framework would then be:

E F# G A B C D
Again, the 5 positions apply to both major and minor keys. The only thing that changes
is where the location of the tonic note is within these patterns.
In this lesson, and all the associated scale diagrams I use:

 A Red dot to indicate the MAJOR tonic note

 A White dot to indicate the MINOR tonic note
With that said, here are the five positions…

The “5 Patterns Method”

Diatonic Scale Pattern/Position #1

You probably recognize this pattern very well by now if you’ve been going through my
lessons. It is what I refer to as the home box.
Diatonic Scale Pattern/Position #2
This is also referred to as simply “the major scale using 3-notes-per-string”, which is
exactly what it is. However, it also functions as the minor scale if you start and end on
the white note. Both the major and minor scale patterns can be used interchangeably.

 If you start and end on the red dot, it’s the major scale.
 If you start and end on the white dot, it’s the minor scale.
Diatonic Scale Pattern/Position #3

I often think of pattern #3 as my “home box” with the tonic(s) located on the A-string; the
spacing and fingering is exactly the same. The only difference is the 1-fret shift up on
the B-string. Without that 1-fret shift up on the B-string, this pattern would be identical to
that of the first 5 strings of pattern 1, starting on the A-string.

Again, start and end on the white note…it’s the minor scale.

Start and end on the red note…it’s the major scale.

Diatonic Scale Pattern/Position #4

Pattern 1 + Pattern 2 =
I use this pattern all the time. However, I don’t typically think of it as a pattern per se.
Rather, I kind of just know patterns 1 and 2 so well, that I just understand how to
connect them together. Therefore, I find it best to give you this pattern in the manner
presented in the diagram above. Instead of looking at it like it’s a completely new and
different pattern, try to see it as just a linking of patterns 1 and 2.
Diatonic Scale Pattern/Position #5
Pattern 3 + Pattern 1 =

Just as I showed with pattern 4, pattern 5 is also a “linking pattern”. This basically links
pattern 3 and 1 together.

Remember, that everything after the 12th fret repeats itself again, so your “pattern 1”
will be found both in the lower region of the fretboard as well as the higher region of the
fretboard. Therefore, by the time you’ve moved through patterns 1, 2 and 3…you’re just
about to start over again at pattern 1, just an octave higher!

Take a look at how this:

and this:
…are the exact same thing!

The ENTIRE POINT of this lesson was about how exactly to “fill-in all the stuff” in
between!

And there you have your 5 patterns.

There is also a fretboard visualization method for the diatonic scale that uses 7 patterns.
I have a lesson on that as well, so be sure to check that one out too!
That was a lot to take in…it looks like you need a cool picture of a zombie…

There ya go!

As always, have fun!