Converting Major Scales From Piano To Guitar

[ceve4life]

I'm taking a theory class and am learning scales. I'm confused on how some piano scales convert to guitar. Not that I don't understand on piano, just guitar. EX: A Major on piano is A-C-E, on guitar it's A-E-A-C#-E. How does the C# happen to come in on the B string to make that chord?

Thanks.

[GregP]

I don't know if I understand the question.

The scale is the same no matter what instrument you're using. Doubly easy since guitar is a C concert pitch instrument, too.

You've just calculated something incorrectly. A-major on piano is also A-C#-E. A-C-E is A-minor.

Greg

[mikhailgtrski]

If you're referring to the order of notes, A-C#-E (1, 3, 5) and A-E-A-C#-E (1, 5, 1, 3, 5) are both an A major chord.

The second one is an inversion (don't ask me which) with some added octaves (A and E). This is common for guitar, since it's not always physically possible to fret the notes in order. If a chord doesn't sit quite right, sometimes substituting an inversion will work better.

[ceve4life]

An inversion sounds correct. Since I'm just learning scales for the first time the are probably teaching the easy stuff. Thanks.

[ThePlague]

Actually that's not even an inversion. It's simply a different voicing. If something besides the A was in the bass (lowest note of the chord), then it'd be an inversion.

For example, if you played the low E string open, you'd have the 5th of the chord in the bass, making it an AM in second inversion.

[GregP]

Just as long as the point was understood-- C# is a part of A-major, not C. So there's nothing to convert.