Dr_Rez

No the 1st postition of Am scale is at the fifth fret. Think about it, its an Am scale so the first root note has to be an A.



The one marked R is the root which is the same note as the key you are in. So if you want to play in Bm you go down to the 7th fret because that note of the low E string is a B. I think first you should learn all your notes on the low e and a string before tackling this.

The first position of the scale always starts on the note the scale is named after on the 6th string (fattest).

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blastingas10

I've looked at multiple scale charts and theyve always told me the first note of the Am blues scale is on the 3rd fret (G). I know all my notes on the low E very well. I'm Past that. Yes the root is on the A, but it starts on the G. I'm not saying you're wrong, I understand what you're saying; but my scale book shows it as this:


----------------------------------------------3-5-------
-------------------------------------3-4-5------------
---------------------------2-----4-------------------
------------------2----4-----------------------
---------3---5--------------------------
--3---5----------------------------

The roots being on the 5th of the low E and the 2nd of the G.

GuitarBizarre

Thats not the first position. The first position of the Am pentatonic scale is

----------------------------------------------5-8-------
-------------------------------------5-8-------------
---------------------------5-----7-------------------
------------------5----7-----------------------
---------5---7--------------------------
--5---8----------------------------

If you look at the chart above, you'll see you're playing the shape listed for the SECOND position. Its still an Am scale, but that is NOT the first position, which is WHY the root note is not the first note.

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Burning Down

That's not root position, that's the second position. "A" is always the root if you're playing in Am. But those tabs are weird. I played it on my guitar and the lower octave is a pentatonic scale while the higher octave seems to be a blues scale of sorts.

edit: Ahhhh GB beat me to it.

GuitarBizarre

Burning down is right about one thing though - The scale you're playing isn't a pentatonic after the first octave. that 345 pattern in there is a different scale.

Think about it, a pentatonic scale is PENT-atonic. Pent meaning five, like pentagon.

If you look at the second octave of your scale, there are six notes. Thats not right for a pentatonic. You're adding in that Eb for some reason, which is what would happen in a blues pentatonic, not a traditional pentatonic.

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Burning Down

Yeah I couldn't really put my finger on it... it sounded very bluesy at the end. I even tried it on the piano in all five positions (or inversions as they are called on piano), same result.

GuitarBizarre

Its because the blues relies on fluid intervals, quartertones etc. So to approximate that on instruments that can't bend, you get the "blue notes" where you make a run fluid by adding in a semitone that isn't in the original scale.

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Dr_Rez

TO make it simple, The sixth string root note is ALWAYS the beginning of the first position of the scale.

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blastingas10

It's the first position in the sense that if you start at the top of the guitar, its the first position you're going to come up on. That's what I meant.

Dr_Rez

I guess I dont know what you mean. I cant make it any more simple. It doesnt matter where you are on the guitar.... The first position ALWAYS starts at the root note on the 6th string.

Em first position can be open or or 12th fret. Both are E notes on the 6th string. A Gm woud be the 3rd fret or the 15th fret since they are both ROOT NOTES (G's) on the lowest string.

I cant really explain it any clearer.

So again this picture is explaining it for Am.

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