Grab your favorite guitar, if it's electric, plug it into your favorite amp. Play your favorite chord and hold it... listen... that's tone.

Now, count to seven, 1-2-3-4-5-6-7, those are tones.

While tone is important, tones are essential!

The above seven tone numbers represent the seven pitches of the major scale. For example, the C major scale contains the letters: C D E F G A B, and each of these letters can be given tone numbers as follows:

Letters:	C	D	E	F	G	A	B
Tones:	1	2	3	4	5	6	7

Tone 1, also known as the root or tonic, is always the letter name of the scale.

Let's illustrate the C major scale on the whole fretboard as letters and tones.

In the lesson, "All the chords I needed to know, I learned at my first lesson", we learned to see five vertical major chord forms as letters. Now, lets see them as the tone numbers 1 3 5.  These five major chord forms may be found inside seven vertical major scale forms.

Forms are "moveable tone patterns" and are created by placing a finger on the root letter of tone one.  For example, circle five-four simply means to begin the scale on the letter of tone one found on string five using the fourth finger of your fretting hand. Circle five-two means; start on  string five with your second finger, and so on. There are seven major scale forms and they are labeled: circle five-four, circle five-two, circle five-one, circle six-three, circle six-two, circle six-one, and circle four-one. 

Did you notice that circle five-two and circle five-one share the same major chord form: circle five -one, and that circle six-two and circle six-one also share the same major chord form: circle six-one? This is why there are only five major chord forms, even though there are seven major scale forms. There are also seven major arpeggio forms - just play the tones 1 3 5 one tone at a time. Remember, the tones 1 3 5 of the major chord are played at the same time.

And now the shocking truth. These seven major scale tone patterns remain the same no matter what fret you begin on, but every letter-pattern is different!  The point being - tones are easy, while letters are much more of a challenge.

Did someone say - Guitar Fretboard Flashcards?

So till next time, have some fun playing with tones - now that you know the truth!

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