To make learning the scale easier, we divide it into five bite-sized chunks, which we will call "patterns." Each of these patterns covers a "position" of four or five frets. We label the patterns with Roman numberals (e.g., Pattern I, Pattern II, etc.). The first of these, Pattern I, covers frets 5-8 and has root notes on the 6th string, the 4th string, and the 1st string. In Pattern I, there are only two notes on each string.
Pattern 1
Fingering
For this and most of the other patterns, assign each of your fretting hand fingers to cover one fret (e.g., index = 5th fret, ring = 7th fret, pinky = 8th fret). If you number the fingers of your fretting hand (i.e., index = 1, middle = 2, ring = 3, pinky = 4), the fingering, from the lowest string (low E) on up will be 1-4, 1-3, 1-3, 1-3, 1-4, 1-4. That's an easy way to help remember the shape of the pattern.
Practice Tips
The strings on the guitar are numbered, counter intuitively, from the highest string (the high E) to the lowest (low E): 1 = high E, 2 = B, 3 = G, 4 = D, 5 = A, 6 = low E.
When you're getting started with this pattern, play it first from the lowest note (E on the 5th fret of the 6th string) to the higest note (C on the 8th fret of the 1st string) and back down, picking every note. Then try it using hammer ons (ascending) and pulloffs (descending). You'll see pretty quickly why this pattern is so popular for soloing.
Connections
You can make Pattern I even more musical by adding the b5 (a.k.a. the "blue note"). Adding this note turns it into Pattern I of the Minor Blues Scale. You can switch back and forth between these two scales in the same solo.
Last Update
This page was last updated on 07/04/2026.