7 Ways to Play the Same Scale
There are seven modal fingerings. Why seven? If you remember from the theory lesson (you should read the theory lesson before doing this lesson), there are seven notes in a major scale (or key). There is one modal fingering for each note in the major scale. The seven modal fingerings are seven different ways to play the same major scale across a 12 fret (one octave) area on the fretboard. The pattern of fingerings repeat after the 12th fret. These seven fingerings will let you play anywhere on the fretboard.
If you are in the key of C, the first modal fingering will be played on the C note on the low E string's 8th fret. The second modal fingering will be played from the second note in the key of C, which is D on the 10th fret of the E string. The third fingering will be played starting on the E on the 12th fret and so on.
Remember the formula for building a major scale. The first note is what key you're in. Then use the formula to go up the low E string and place your modal fingerings. First fingering on the first note, second fingering on the second note, etc.
This is it. This is the hardest part of learning the guitar. Once you learn these seven scale fingerings and know how to build a major scale to place these seven fingerings on your fretboard, you've learned half of what you need to know about playing guitar and writing your own music.