C Major Scale — Positions 2 & 3
Two more positions for the C Major scale that extend across the fretboard, including the 8th fret position.
Why Learn Multiple Positions?
Every scale has multiple "positions" on the guitar — meaning different places on the neck where the same notes appear. Learning all the positions lets you:
- Play smoother solos without big position jumps
- Use the same scale higher or lower depending on the song's range
- Understand the fretboard as one connected map instead of a single shape
Position 2
This position uses frets 1 to 5 across most strings. The fingering numbers are shown next to each note.
| Fret | E (6) | A (5) | D (4) | G (3) | B (2) | E (1) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | ||||||
| 1 | 1E | 1A | ||||
| 2 | 2C | 2F | 1D | |||
| 3 | 3B | |||||
| 5 | 4D | 4G | 4C | 1E | 1A | |
| 6 | 2F | |||||
| 7 | 3B | |||||
| 8 | 4G | 4C |
Position 3 — From the 8th Fret
This position starts at the 8th fret and works upward. It's the same C Major scale, just played higher on the neck for a brighter, more cutting tone.
| Fret | E (6) | A (5) | D (4) | G (3) | B (2) | E (1) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | C | F | B | |||
| 9 | E | C | ||||
| 10 | D | G | C | A | D | |
| 11 | F | |||||
| 12 | E | A | D | G | B | E |
| 13 | F | C | F | |||
| 14 | ||||||
| 15 | G | C | F | D | G |
Connecting the Positions
Once you can play all three positions, try playing the scale up through Position 1, then continue into Position 2, then into Position 3. This is how guitarists move smoothly across the entire neck.
Tip: the highest note of one position is usually the lowest note of the next. Look for these shared notes — they're your "bridge" between positions.