Key Transposition

The entire major scale pattern is moveable to anywhere on the guitar fretboard, but only as a whole. The placement of the entire major scale on the fretboard, can identify the KEY NAME of the scale Every scale has two key names, MAJOR or MINOR. The first degree (number 1) indicates the major key. The sixth degree (number 6) indicates the minor key.

This is the entire "E" major scale.

This is also the entire "C#" minor scale.

To change keys from "E" major to "F" major, simply move all the degrees up one fret so that the first degree is on "F". In the diagram below, notice that the first degree is now on the "F" note, the second degree is on "G", the third on "A" and so on. As a result the scale is now in the key of "F" major.

This is the entire major scale in the key of "F" major.

This is also the entire "D" minor scale.

There a total of twelve keys (E, F, F#, G, G#, A, A#, B, C, C#, D, and D#).