"7-String Scale Patterns"
					by Drew Peterson


	This is just a quick guide of sorts showing how to apply 6-string scale patterns to 
your 7-string guitar, intended as a sort of beginner primer when you're just making the 
switch. That aside, i hope it will prove helpful. 

	To begin with, it's easy to apply any fixed-position scale with a root on the 6th 
string to a 7-string guitar; simply play the same pattern of notes you would on the high b 
string on the low B, much as you would play the same series of notes on the high e as the 
low E. For example:

6-string B minor scale

e|---------------------------------7-9-10-|
b|--------------------------7-8-10--------|
G|----------------------7-9---------------|
D|---------------7-9-11-------------------|
A|--------7-9-10--------------------------|
E|-7-9-10---------------------------------|


7-string B minor scale (root on F#)

e|----------------------------------------7-9-10-|
b|---------------------------------7-8-10--------|
G|-----------------------------7-9---------------|
D|----------------------7-9-11-------------------|
A|---------------7-9-10--------------------------|
E|--------7-9-10---------------------------------|
B|-7-8-10----------------------------------------|

or, to use fretboard diagrams, 

6-string:

  VII
|--R--|-----|--2--|-b3--|-----|
|--5--|-b6--|-----|-b7--|-----|
|-b3--|-----|--4--|-----|-----|
|-b7--|-----|--R--|-----|--2--|
|--4--|-----|--5--|-b6--|-----|
|--R--|-----|--2--|-b3--|-----|


7-string:

  VII
|--R--|-----|--2--|-b3--|-----|
|--5--|-b6--|-----|-b7--|-----|*
|-b3--|-----|--4--|-----|-----|
|-b7--|-----|--R--|-----|--2--|
|--4--|-----|--5--|-b6--|-----|
|--R--|-----|--2--|-b3--|-----|
|--5--|-b6--|-----|-b7--|-----|*

	Notice how the 2nd string and the 7th string (from the high e) are parallel. Any 
6-string pattern that doesn't shift pitches can be applied to a 7-string in this manner.

	The same can be done for scales with a root on the 5th string. Worth noting here is 
that the note an octave below will be located two strings below and two frets back from it's 
position on the A string, so it will be possible to play an additional octave here:

6-string E minor scale:

|--------------------------7-8-10-12-|
|-------------------7-8-10-----------|
|---------------7-9------------------|
|--------7-9-10----------------------|
|-7-9-10-----------------------------|
|------------------------------------|


7-string E minor scale pattern:

|------------------------------------------7-8-10-12-|
|-----------------------------------7-8-10-----------|
|-------------------------------7-9------------------|
|------------------------7-9-10----------------------|
|-----------------7-9-10-----------------------------|
|----------7-8-10------------------------------------|
|-5-7-8-10-------------------------------------------|

and in fretboard diagrams:

6-string:

   V
|-----|-----|--5--|-b6--|-----|-b7--|-----|--R--|
|-----|-----|--2--|-b3--|-----|--4--|-----|-----|
|-----|-----|-b7--|-----|--R--|-----|-----|-----|
|-----|-----|--4--|-----|--5--|-b6--|-----|-----|
|-----|-----|--R--|-----|--2--|-b3--|-----|-----|
|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|

7-string:

   V
|-----|-----|--5--|-b6--|-----|-b7--|-----|--R--|
|-----|-----|--2--|-b3--|-----|--4--|-----|-----|
|-----|-----|-b7--|-----|--R--|-----|-----|-----|
|-----|-----|--4--|-----|--5--|-b6--|-----|-----|
|-----|-----|--R--|-----|--2--|-b3--|-----|-----|
|-----|-----|--5--|-b6--|-----|-b7--|-----|-----|
|--R--|-----|--2--|-b3--|-----|--4--|-----|-----|

	Not bad, huh? you can play three complete octaves of an E minor scale within 7 
frets- i usually slide from the E to the f# on the low B and reach for that last e with my 
pinkie, so there's only one real position shift in the whole thing, and it's right at the 
very beginning. Also, if you play the scale's relative major, placing the root on the G, you 
can do this without any position shifts, and it falls quite comfortably under your fingers:


|--------------------------------------7-8-10-|
|-------------------------------7-8-10--------|
|---------------------------7-9---------------|
|--------------------7-9-10-------------------|
|-------------7-9-10--------------------------|
|------7-8-10---------------------------------|
|-8-10----------------------------------------|


	From here, it makes sense to look at scales with their root on the 7th string. An 
open position scale would probably be the easiest place to start:


|-----------------------------------0-2-3-|
|-----------------------------0-2-3-------|
|-------------------------0-2-------------|
|-------------------0-2-4-----------------|
|-------------0-2-4-----------------------|
|-------0-2-3-----------------------------|
|-0-2-3-----------------------------------|

or in a fretboard diagram:

open
 4|-----|--5--|-b6--|-----|
 R|-----|--2--|-b3--|-----|
b6|-----|-b7--|-----|-----|
b3|-----|--4--|-----|--5--|
b7|-----|--R--|-----|--2--|
 4|-----|--5--|-b6--|-----|
 R|-----|--2--|-b3--|-----|


	this pattern can be transposed up and down the neck fairly comfortably. Useful to 
note is the way it overlaps with the 6-string pattern with the root on the 5th string:

open
 4|-----|--5--|-b6--|-----|
 R|-----|--2--|-b3--|-----|
b6|-----|-b7--|-----|-----|
b3|-----|--4--|-----|--5--|
b7|-----|--R--|-----|--2--|
 4|-----|--5--|-b6--|-----|
 R|-----|--2--|-b3--|-----|

  |-----|--5--|-b6--|-----|-b7--|-----|--R--|
  |-----|--2--|-b3--|-----|--4--|-----|-----|
  |-----|-b7--|-----|--R--|-----|-----|-----|
  |-----|--4--|-----|--5--|-b6--|-----|-----|
  |-----|--R--|-----|--2--|-b3--|-----|-----|
  |-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|


	And since shred guitarists have a fondness for 3-note per string patterns, here's 
the traditional patterns as they lie on a 7-string neck. (I'm assuming if you're reading 
this you play shred, because the majority of people who buy 7-strings are either influenced 
by Vai or Korn, and if you're coming from a Korn background you wouldn't bother with 
scales.) Here they are ascending modally from C:

 C Ionian
|-------------------------------------3-5-7-|
|-------------------------------3-5-6-------|
|-------------------------2-4-5-------------|
|-------------------2-3-5-------------------|
|-------------2-3-5-------------------------|
|-------1-3-5-------------------------------|
|-1-3-5-------------------------------------|


 D Dorian
|-------------------------------------5-7-8-|
|-------------------------------5-6-8-------|
|-------------------------4-5-7-------------|
|-------------------3-5-7-------------------|
|-------------3-5-7-------------------------|
|-------3-5-7-------------------------------|
|-3-5-6-------------------------------------|


 E Phrygian
|--------------------------------------7-8-10-|
|-------------------------------6-8-10--------|
|-------------------------5-7-9---------------|
|-------------------5-7-9---------------------|
|-------------5-7-8---------------------------|
|-------5-7-8---------------------------------|
|-5-6-8---------------------------------------|


 F Lydian
|--------------------------------------------8-10-12-|
|------------------------------------8-10-12---------|
|-----------------------------7-9-10-----------------|
|----------------------7-9-10------------------------|
|---------------7-8-10-------------------------------|
|--------7-8-10--------------------------------------|
|-6-8-10---------------------------------------------|


 G Mixolydian
|---------------------------------------------10-12-14-|
|------------------------------------10-12-13----------|
|-----------------------------8-9-11-------------------|
|----------------------8-9-11--------------------------|
|---------------7-9-11---------------------------------|
|--------7-9-11----------------------------------------|
|-7-9-11-----------------------------------------------|


 A Aeolean
|-------------------------------------------------------12-13-15-|
|----------------------------------------------12-13-15----------|
|-------------------------------------10-12-14-------------------|
|----------------------------10-12-14----------------------------|
|-------------------10-12-14-------------------------------------|
|----------10-12-13----------------------------------------------|
|-10-12-13-------------------------------------------------------|


 B Locrian
|-------------------------------------------------------13-15-17-|
|----------------------------------------------13-15-17----------|
|-------------------------------------12-14-16-------------------|
|----------------------------12-14-15----------------------------|
|-------------------12-14-15-------------------------------------|
|----------12-13-15----------------------------------------------|
|-12-13-15-------------------------------------------------------|

	Mess around with these a bit- by the time they start to feel natural your fretboard 
knowledge on a 7-string will have improved tremedously. Note that each pattern stops on the 
minor 7th degree of their respective scale- if you jump up either a half step or a step 
you'll be able to cover 4 octaves. That's about a half octave more than a 6-string, which 
can make quite a difference when you're jumping around the neck on faster runs; try 
something like this- keep your pointer finger rooted on the low be and play the rest of the 
notes with your remaining three fingers. a bit stretchy in places, but just think how much 
worse it'd be on a 6-string ;o)

|----19----17----15----13----------------------------------------------|
|----------------------------17----15----13----------------------------|
|----------------------------------------------16----14----12----------|
|----------------------------------------------------------------16----|
|----------------------------------------------------------------------|
|----------------------------------------------------------------------|
|-12----12----12----12----12----12----12----12----12----12----12----12-|

|----------------------------------------------------------------|
|----------------------------------------------------------------|
|----------------------------------------------------------------|
|-14----12-------------------------------------------------------|
|-------------15----14----12-------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------15----14----12-------------------|
|----12----12----12----12----12----12----12----12-15-12-14-12-12-|

	Ok, that's it... Good luck with these. Enjoy! :o)