Open Position Guitar Scales

The open position guitar scales are played near the guitar nut using a combination of open string notes and fretted notes. The charts below show the main scale patterns used in country & bluegrass music in several common keys. The black dots represent major scale notes, and the blue dots represent the blues scale notes. The major and blues scales can be combined into a hybrid country guitar scale that will give your guitar solos a nice country twang.

The open position scales are very useful for playing country bluegrass lead guitar and rhythm fill riffs. Learn how to use the open position scales to play country and bluegrass lead guitar licks with our Guitar Lick Library.

Key of A

Key of B

Key of C

Key of D

Key of E

Key of F

Key of G