At the end of my lesson last week as we were packing away, my teacher said he'd like us to learn the scale we'd been practicing using thirds?...can anyone enlighten me?...does it mean playing the scale upwards and downwards and skipping notes or playing the scale randomly using notes within the scale (Gmajor)....thanks

I have been told If you're playing the Major scale then Root, maj3, perfect 5th, maj7th on another forum but i'm afraid being a newbie this means nothing to me.

Can anyone put this in simple english?

thanks

There might be differing opinions about what that phrase means, but I've always taken it to mean going up a 3rd, down a 2nd, up a 3rd etc etc.

For instance... C E D F E G F A G B C, or some variation of that pattern. Going down the scale would be C A B G A F etc.

It's a good finger pattern, and if you are in the stage of still learning the fingerboard, saying names of the notes as you play them would be plus.

In the end, we very rarely, in the performance of music, play a scale intact root to root, so any of the (seemingly) thousands of scale patterns and variations are good practice and a more musical activity than just running scales bottom to top and back.

I also play a variation of that:

Cmaj (C D E F G A B C)


C D E C D F E D E F G E F A G F G A B G A C B A B C D B C E D B C

or

C E D C D E F D E G F E F G A F G B A G A B C A B D C B C D E B C

see the pattern?

Take the C major scale, which I assume you know well, C D E F G A B..

For the scale of C major:

C is called the root (tonic)
D called the 2nd (in fact, a major 2nd)
E 3rd (major 3rd)
F 4th(perfect 4th)
G 5th(perfect 5th, "perfect" because the root and the 5th sounds least disonant)
A 6th (maj 6th)
B 7th (maj 7th)
then the C an octave up (12 frets) is called the octave

you don't have to use maj or min when talking diatonically (within the scale)...like, A is a 6th higher than C (it doesn't matter when it's major or minor, just know that it's an interval of 6 notes higher in the scale). Similarly D(+octave) is a 6th higher than F.

When you play C then D, that's an interval of a major 2nd.
When you play D then E, that's an interval of a major 2nd.
When you play E then F, that's an interval of a MINOR 2nd.

a major 2nd just means a difference of 2 frets, and a minor 2nd, a difference of 1 fret.

So playing a scale in "3rds" would be
Play C, then E, that's a major 3rd (4 frets up)
Play D, then F, that's a minor 3rd (3 frets up)
Play E, then G, that's a minor 3rd
Play F, then A, major 3rd
G, then B, major 3rd
A, then C minor 3rd

on the A string, this would be
-3-7-5-8-7-10-8-12-10-14-12-15 and so on
(C E D F E G F A G B A C...)

practise playing on both one string, and in a position using all the strings (using the scale pattersn you should have been shown)..both are helpful.

this patterns good too:
D ----2---3---5---7----9----10--12---
A --3---5---7---8---10---12--14---15-

I guess you cud think of the names "major 3rd" and "minor 3rd" coming from the fact when you play them as an interval (or double stop, ie. at the same time, like a chord), the major 3rd (e.g.C and E) sounds "happy" and a minor 3rd (D F) sounds "sad".


I've probably confused you here...so I recommend a good book on music theory..it's interesting stuff!!

I came across that exercise when I was learning violin, she called it "broken thirds".

It sounds to me that what he wants is: Root-third, second-fourth, third-fifth, fourth-sixth, fifth-seventh and six- root (eighth). Figure a major scale, or minor, it doesn't matter, has 8 degrees. The scale then sounds like an old Bugs Bunny cartoon.

A C major scale would be, c-e,d-f,e-g,f-a,g-b and so on.

I can't believe I'm having to say this. :scowl:

It's called an ARPEGGIO, folks. Look it up. Geez. :rolleyes:

If the people teaching you don't know that, then they are sorely lacking in musical knowledge.

I can't believe I'm having to say this. :scowl:

It's called an ARPEGGIO, folks. Look it up. Geez. :rolleyes:

If the people teaching you don't know that, then they are sorely lacking in musical knowledge.

Hes not asking about Arpeggios. An arpegio is a chord that has been played one note at a time, whereas he is asking about playing thirds. Two different things.:rollno:

No it isn't. Every scale has an associated arpeggio. The arpeggiated scale forms basic chords with the root and 3rd moving upward (I-ii-iii-IV-V-vi-vii-I). Arpeggio refers to a scale or a chord, depending on the context.

No it isn't. Every scale has an associated arpeggio. The arpeggiated scale forms basic chords with the root and 3rd moving upward (I-ii-iii-IV-V-vi-vii-I). Arpeggio refers to a scale or a chord, depending on the context.

If you play an arpeggio and keep going up in thirds you will play all the notes of the related scale.

There might be differing opinions about what that phrase means, but I've always taken it to mean going up a 3rd, down a 2nd, up a 3rd etc etc.

For instance... C E D F E G F A G B C, or some variation of that pattern. Going down the scale would be C A B G A F etc.

It sounds to me that what he wants is: Root-third, second-fourth, third-fifth, fourth-sixth, fifth-seventh and six- root (eighth). Figure a major scale, or minor, it doesn't matter, has 8 degrees. The scale then sounds like an old Bugs Bunny cartoon.

A C major scale would be, c-e,d-f,e-g,f-a,g-b and so on.

I agree with these guys. What they describe above is what my teacher called "playing a scale using 3rds" (this is NOT playing arpaggios)

Arpeggiated C scale: C-E-D-F-E-G-F-A-G-B-A-C-B-D-C
Arpeggiated I-IV-V-I progression in C major: C-E-G, F-A-C, G-B-D, C

It's still an arpeggio, which by definition is playing a scale or chord progression by 3rds. Your teacher just doesn't call it that for whatever reason.

Arpeggiated C scale: C-E-D-F-E-G-F-A-G-B-A-C-B-D-C

Nope, this is a scale in broken thirds - you're playing a third above each scale degree, in sequence, using only scale tones.

Arpeggiated I-IV-V-I progression in C major: C-E-G, F-A-C, G-B-D, C

Right. These are arpeggios because you've spelled each chord using all of the notes essential to defining the tonality of the chord.

C-E isn't an arpeggio, it's just an interval of a major third. It would be an arpeggio if it had another note to fully define the chord being played - ie, C-E-G is major (or A-C-E is minor, or C-E-G# is augmented, etc etc).

Take the C major scale, which I assume you know well, C D E F G A B..

For the scale of C major:

C is called the root (tonic)
D called the 2nd (in fact, a major 2nd)
E 3rd (major 3rd)
F 4th(perfect 4th)
G 5th(perfect 5th, "perfect" because the root and the 5th sounds least disonant)
A 6th (maj 6th)
B 7th (maj 7th)
then the C an octave up (12 frets) is called the octave

you don't have to use maj or min when talking diatonically (within the scale)...like, A is a 6th higher than C (it doesn't matter when it's major or minor, just know that it's an interval of 6 notes higher in the scale). Similarly D(+octave) is a 6th higher than F.

When you play C then D, that's an interval of a major 2nd.
When you play D then E, that's an interval of a major 2nd.
When you play E then F, that's an interval of a MINOR 2nd.

a major 2nd just means a difference of 2 frets, and a minor 2nd, a difference of 1 fret.

So playing a scale in "3rds" would be
Play C, then E, that's a major 3rd (4 frets up)
Play D, then F, that's a minor 3rd (3 frets up)
Play E, then G, that's a minor 3rd
Play F, then A, major 3rd
G, then B, major 3rd
A, then C minor 3rd

on the A string, this would be
-3-7-5-8-7-10-8-12-10-14-12-15 and so on
(C E D F E G F A G B A C...)

practise playing on both one string, and in a position using all the strings (using the scale pattersn you should have been shown)..both are helpful.

this patterns good too:
D ----2---3---5---7----9----10--12---
A --3---5---7---8---10---12--14---15-

I guess you cud think of the names "major 3rd" and "minor 3rd" coming from the fact when you play them as an interval (or double stop, ie. at the same time, like a chord), the major 3rd (e.g.C and E) sounds "happy" and a minor 3rd (D F) sounds "sad".


I've probably confused you here...so I recommend a good book on music theory..it's interesting stuff!!

fluxman your a genius. That's exactly the sort of thing I was looking for cheers :bassist:

Nope, this is a scale in broken thirds - you're playing a third above each scale degree, in sequence, using only scale tones.

OK, I'll concede. You're right. I was just never taught to call them that.

My point was that a chord is still a chord without the 5th (R+3), and a two-note chord can be arpeggiated.

Wonderful.:hyper: Now its all settled.:smug: Good work fellas.:)

I think everyone has covered playing basic thirds. Next what I like that has more musical sound is Go up a 3rd (C up to E), then play next closest scale tone, then down a 3rd (F down to D). Now continue (E up to G) then (A down to F) and so on.

Be sure work on playing thirds using all the scale/mode fingering patterns you know. Then move on to 4ths the same way. Once you have the 3rds down sing the scales in 3rds as you play them. That will help develop your ear. Last do the 3rd's exercise in two octaves. To do that you really have to know your scales and fretboard, it will force you to able to workout fingerings on the fly. You end up knowing all possible fingerings of thirds. Playing 3rd's ends up being a technique, fretboard, and eartraining exercise.