How to harmonize the major scale in 3rds

trevjo7

would anyone be kind enough to show me a visual of how to harmonize the major scale in 3rds please? This is in the context of CAGED scale patterns.

Thanks

Trev

Phil_aka_Pip

You do seem to be stuck on CAGED don't you!

Try this: in C major, the pairs of notes that make 3rds are CE DF EG FA GB AC BD, similar applies to any scale, just pick a pair of notes two scale steps apart. First, play them up the same pair of strings, eg the 5th & 4th strings, so: frets 3&2, 5&3, 7&5 etc. Doing it up the same pair of strings will show you the distance relationships between the pairs of notes, as well as the distance relationship between the lower of "this" pair and the lower of the "next" pair. Next, find their equivalents going across the neck, using 2 strings. If you stick to any one "scale pattern" you might find that you pick two notes on the same string - which isn't wrong if you want a convenient arpeggio shape but it means you won't hear them played together.

trevjo7

Yep, I know, I have (due to illness) problems with my memory, hence my continued reference & struggle with CAGED questions. One appreciates your patience and support in this area, graciously appreciated. Things are making sense slowly, which is good. 

I've been playing for some time now and have my own quirky style....check out Richard Lloyd of 'Television' for a rough idea of how things flow for me. That said, I'm looking backwards as it were, to find the TECHNICAL origins of all of this, and what I do. Anyway, just a little background for you so that you kind of know where I'm coming from.

Once again,

Thanks for your support here.

Trev

Barney

try using every other note of the major scale starting from each degree of the major scale to make 3 note or 4 note chords then chord extensions..im not sure iff thats what you mean ?

Danny1969

I don't know what caged is but major 3rds are often played in double stop format, as you can then slide into them like the intro into Summer Holiday, Brown eyed girl etc. 

In the key of D play a D on the third fret B string and an F# on the 2nd fret top E string, then move up the scale by varying the distance between the 2 fretted notes to stay within D major a third apart on both strings .... so D -E- F# - G - A - B - C #  is the scale miss the 2nd internal and hit the third as you climb up and down

Phil_aka_Pip

Following on from what @Danny1969 said (which is a perfectly good alternative to what I said, it gets you a similar result but in the key of D) ... you notice that to keep within the scale you have to vary the shape of the third. That's because the distance between adjacent notes in a major scale is not constant, think TTSTTTS where T=Tone (2 frets)  S=Semitone (1 fret) - that's the list of the distances (properly known as "intervals") between notes in a major scale. The "third" is called that because of inclusive counting of note names (eg C, D, E). If you start from the root of a major scale and go up a third you get (would you believe) a major third. If it were all up the same string you'd have gone 2 frets from the C to the D and another 2 from the D to the E. A minor third is a major third minus one semitone (up 3 frets not 4); an example of that would be D-F: 2 frets from D to E then only 1 from E to F.