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Berklee College of Music

A Modern Method for Guitar
Volume 2
William Leavitt
Section One
Four Basic Major-Scale Fingering
Patterns

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SECTION ONE
Four Basic Major-Scale Fingering Patterns

TYPE 2

TYPE 1

TYPE 3

TYPE 4

(s): Finger Stretch

Remember: Do not move entire hand.
All out-of-position scale tones played with first-finger stretches (See Vol. I, pg. 60.)

TYPE 1

C Major

4
2

& 44

1 2

(s)

4
2

II

TYPE 2

(s)
2

4
3

(s)
1

w
5

No finger stretches necessary for scale tones

2 4

w
2 4

# 4
& 4

1 2

1 3

II

1 3 4

4 1

No stretches

D Major

II

4
1 2

4 1

#
& # 44
TYPE 4

G Major

TYPE 3

5 4

4 1 3 1

4 3

1 4

2 1

All out-of-position scale tones played with fourth-finger stretches

A Major

### 4
&
4

(s)
1
1 3 4

1 3 4

II

(s)
4 3

3 4
2 4 1

6 5

3 1

4 3

All scales (major and minor, etc.) will be derived from these four basic major-scale patterns.
Ultimately, five major keys will be possible in each position with Type 1 and its four derivative fingering patterns: 1A, 1B, 1C, and 1D. This also applies to Type 4 and its derivatives: 4A, 4B, 4C, and
4D. Fingering Types 2 and 3 have no derivative major fingering patterns.
3

C MajorAscending (Five Positions)

FINGERING TYPE 1

(s)
1

(s)
1

4
.

..

&4 .

II

1
3

(s)
4

TYPE 4

(s)
4

..

..

(s)
4 _ 4
1

VII
TYPE 2

..

..

VII

2
4

(s)
4

IX
TYPE 1A

..

..

IX

(s)
1

XII

TYPE 3

..
..
1

XII

w

(s): FINGER STRETCH

C MajorDescending (Five Positions)

FINGERING TYPE 3

4

&4
4

XII

(s)
1

IX

TYPE 1A
(s)
1

IX

(s)
1 _ 1

VII

TYPE 2

VII

(s)
1

TYPE 4
4

TYPE 1
2

II

II