Scales / Major (Ionian)
Major (Ionian) Scale on Guitar
The foundation of Western music. Happy, bright sound.
Notes (in C)
C D E F G A B
Interval formula
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
C Major (Ionian) across the fretboard
The diagram shows C major (ionian) with the root note in red. The shape is movable: slide it along the neck so the root lands on a different note and you have the same scale in any key.
Explore it interactively
Open the major (ionian) scale in the String Atlas explorer to hear it, change the key and tuning, switch between CAGED and three-notes-per-string shapes, and jam over an instantly generated backing track.
Open the explorer