To play a scale on a stringed instrument, you need to know what scale position you are going to use. There are usually several scale positions up and down the fretboard.
ChordWizard automatically calculates all positions for all scales with your instrument and tuning, so you can quickly explore the possibilities. It can also demonstrate how each position should be played, so you can repeat after and practice it.
Let's try this for the C Major scale.
Step-By-Step
Step 1
First of all, you need to be in Scales View. Check the bottom of the workspace and make sure that the Scales tab is selected. If it isn't, click on it.
Step 2
Now, select the scale you are using in the light red Scale Matrix. This is usually placed in the lower right of the workspace.
Each cell in the matrix represents the scale based on the scale type in the row heading and the root note in the column heading. The numbers in each cell tell you how many scale positions are possible for each scale.
So, we need to select the cell in the C column and the Major row, as shown.
Step 3
As soon as you have selected the scale, the fretboard will show the locations of the first scale position, as shown.
There are usually several other possible scale positions which you can explore with the following commands:
| Button | Menu |
| Scales-Prior Position | |
| Scales-Next Position |
You can also select a different scale position by hovering the mouse over the fretboard and clicking anywhere that a hollow label appears.
Step 4
Once you have selected a scale position, you can have ChordWizard demonstrate it with the following command:
| Button | Key | Menu |
| F9 | Scales-Single Practice |
An animated demonstration with green finger blocks and strings will then show you how it should be played. It will normally do a silent repeat of the animation so you can practice on your own instrument.
Step 5
There are several options for how Single Practice sessions are performed. For details, see Practice Grid and Practice Options.
See Also
