These tones are made up of 2 smaller semitones (often referred to as ‘half-steps’). And the same is true for the notes of C and D. There is a tone between the notes of A and B for example.

Most of the notes of the musical alphabet are separated by what are known as tones (which are often also referred to as ‘whole steps’). For although the letters noted above sit next to each other in the actual alphabet, they do not sit directly next to each other in a musical context. Sharps and flats are notes that exist in between many of the notes listed above. Flats are denoted in music with the following symbol: b. Sharps are denoted in music with the following symbol: #. The remaining 5 notes are accounted for by what are called sharps and flats. Learning the chromatic scale will help you to: If you feel you are in this position, then learning the chromatic scale is a great first step to helping you ‘unlock’ your fretboard. They don’t feel comfortable to move around, and so they end up playing the same patterns and licks. This can cause frustration over time, as players end up ‘trapped’ in certain areas of their neck. In my experience, it is one of the biggest challenges that most guitarists face.Ī lot of players don’t even attempt it, and for some guitarists, just thinking about how and where to start with learning the logic of the guitar fretboard causes them to feel overwhelmed. It is not easy to to navigate around your guitar fretboard. However despite this, it is an immensely useful scale to understand. In fact the purpose that it serves is largely theoretical, rather than practical. The chromatic scale is not one that you are likely to use in your playing with any regularity. If you want to broaden your understanding of the guitar and develop a greater sense of freedom when moving around the fretboard, I would recommend learning the chromatic scale.

B flat major chromatic scale