The 4 Most Important Scale Patterns

Easy, common, and helpful finger patterns, with video

There are four basic scale patterns on the fiddle. They’re super easy to understand; all you have to do is teach them to your fingers! But if you do, be a patient teacher for your fingers — it’s not enough to understand these ideas verbally; your muscle memory has to get a chance to be comfortable with them. And remember to give your fingers some slack as you become aware of and use these patterns, especially when there are other distractions.

Each of these patterns can be used for two strings in a row. Knowing that will give you a bit of a break — get the pattern right on one string, and you’re good to go again on the next higher one.

Starting on Open String

The most common of the four patterns is the one-octave scale that starts on an open string. All you have to do is make sure that the 2d and 3d fingertips are touching, even squeezing them together (a half-step). All the other fingers are about a finger’s-width apart (a whole step).

Here’s what it looks like, from my (patented, i.e. one-of-a-kind!) Finger Finder slide rule — the scale goes from the first dark blue note below (open string) to the next dark blue note (3d finger on next higher string). You may have read the post about playing in tune — it includes a video showing how a Finger Finder slide rule works for you.

The nut is at left, the heavier line between the zero and the empty circle (reserved for when we play a low 1st finger). Each circle is a finger’s width. If you have a very literal mind, please resist getting too technical about the size or length of your own fingers! Learn to trust your ears, and keep in mind that thinking of a “finger’s width space” is an easy and helpful approach, since each space (a circle on the Finger Finder) is reserved for use by one finger.

As you can see in the illustration above, the only fingers (circles) that are touching are the 2d and 3d. This pattern works the same on both strings, as shown. It produces a major scale starting with the open string note and using every numbered circle until the 3d finger on the next higher string. You can play this pattern starting on the G, D, or A strings, to get a one-octave G, D, or A scale, respectively. Most fiddle tunes are in these keys, so you use this pattern a lot! Are you aware of it as you play?

It’s easy to teach your fingers this very common scale pattern. In fact, it’s pretty natural. When your hands hang down at your side, the 2d and 3d fingers usually touch. (The Mr Spock sign, with 1 & 2 touching, big space, then 3 & 4 touching, is unnatural except for certain extraterrestrial beings, and is rarely used on the fiddle.)

If this pattern seems simple, great! It’s easy for your mind, but be sure to go all the way and teach it to your fingers. They’ll need several chances to get used to it in different contexts. Take note of it when you play tunes in G, D, or A. If you find yourself playing this scale, but the 2d & 3d fingertips are not touching, something is guaranteed to be out of tune! However, this is an easy fix if you’re aware of the pattern.

Starting on 3d finger

The second most common scale pattern starts on the 3d finger. In this pattern, the 1st & 2d fingertips are touching (with a finger’s-width space everywhere else — before 1 and after 2 and 3). Again, this pattern works for two strings. Here’s an illustration of that — be sure to start and end with the dark blue circle:

In the video at the bottom of this article, you can try out adding this new scale pattern starting on the 3d finger to the first scale pattern discussed above, starting on the open string. In the video, we’ll start on the open G for the first pattern, and when we arrive at the next G (3d finger on the D string), we’ll continue up the scale to complete a two-octave G scale (of course, we’ll also play down the scale as well; being prepared for the finger spacing of the next string down is really helpful). The video animates the Finger Finder images as well as showing you the fingers as you play through the notes. The D scale is shown after the G scale is done — from open D to 3d on the A string, then the pattern from 3d finger on the A up the E string, and back down. Arpeggios for both scales (1st, 3d and 5th notes of each scale) are also included — these are very common patterns helpful in learning and retaining your tunes. (The video is available for paid or free-trial subscribers; it’s also on fiddle-online — #4 of 10 in Technique Video Group 4.)

One huge benefit of learning these two patterns is that when you play a tune in the key of G (one sharp in the key signature), all you need to know is that on the bottom two strings, your 2d and 3d fingertips touch, and on the top two strings, your 1st and 2d fingertips touch. This reduces intonation to just one big thing to keep in mind — the switch of the 2d finger as the tune moves between the middle strings. If you forget about this, you may end up with the 2d finger halfway between 1st & 3d, which will sour the whole tune. Again, this can be an easy fix if you think of these two patterns, and how the 2d finger is high (i.e. touching the 3d) on the G & D strings, and low (i.e. touching the 1st) on the A & E strings.

This pattern shows up in the key of C when you’re on the lower two strings, key of G on the middle two strings, and key of D on the top two strings.

The 3d & 4th Common Scale Patterns, Video, and Higher Positions