On this page you can learn the G major violin scale. Build up your understanding in different ways by using the video to link your aural and visual memories, the fingering guide to link your intellectual and physical memories, and the 'visual grid' to link the physical, visual and intellectual memories.

As you start to get familiar with the patterns and start to rely more and more on your aural senses, your intellectual/physical knowledge of the scale will begin to become 'automatic'. Then, you can start to use the sheet music as a quick visual reference for which notes you need to play.

VIDEO GUIDE:
how to play a G major scale

Here is a video guide explaining how to play the G major scale:

FINGERING GUIDE:
which fingers to use

The symbols below will show you which fingers you need to use, so that you can play the scale without needing to read the sheet music.

• The letter represents which string to use
  
• The number represents which finger to use

e.g. - 'E1' = 1st finger on the E string, 'D3' = 3rd finger on the D string

• [close] indicates that the two notes are next to each other, i.e. there is NOT space for another note inbetween
• [wide] indicates that the two notes are one step apart from each other, i.e. there IS space for another note inbetween

Here is the one octave scale, which uses just the G and D strings:

Going up:
G [wide] G1 [wide] G2 [close] G3 [wide*] D [wide] D1 [wide] D2 [close] D3

Coming down:
D3 [close] D2 [wide] D1 [close] D [wide*] G3 [close] G2 [wide] G1 [close] G

*if you prefer, you can use a 4th finger instead of an open D string on both the way up and the way down. The interval still sounds 'wide' (known as a 'tone'), whichever way you choose.

Here is the two octave G major scale, which uses all the strings of the violin:

Going up:
G [wide] G1 [wide] G2 [close] G3 [wide] D [wide] D1 [wide] D2 [close] D3 [wide] A [wide] A1 [close] A2 [wide] A3 [wide] E [wide] E1 [close] E2

Coming down:
E2 [close] E1 [wide] E [wide] A3 [wide] A2 [close] A1 [wide] A [wide] D3 [close] D2 [wide] D1 [wide] D [wide] G3 [close] G2 [wide] G1 [wide] G

VISUAL GRID:
where to put your fingers

Here is a visual 'grid' showing where to place the fingers on the fingerboard:

SHEET MUSIC:
notation to remind you which notes to play

Here is the sheet music notation for a two octave G major scale: