How to Play a Two Octave G Major Scale on the Violin
Need to learn how to play a two octave G Major scale? Are you playing pieces in G Major and want to practice a corresponding scale? In this post, I will be discussing the G-major scale for the violin two octaves.
The G major scale has one sharp and that sharp is F sharp. We start the two octave G major scale in first position on the violin on the open G string as your first note.
Octave one
After open G, our next four notes are A B C D. The half step (where your fingers touch) occurs between notes B and C which means your two and three are going to touch.
Keep in mind we have a B natural which is a high second finger on the G string.
As you continue to the D string you play open D and the next three notes are D E F# G. Here we come across our second half step in the G Major scale and that occurs between F sharp and G. So again your 2 and 3 are going to touch on the D string.
The lower octave we have the same finger pattern on both the G and the D strings with our second and third fingers touching.
Need more detailed explanation for the one octave G Major Scale? Check out my Beginner Violin Scales post here.
Want to see the G Major scale notes on the page?
You will LOVE “Violin Scales for the Beginning Violinist” is a 31 page E-Book featuring one octave A Major, D Major, G Major lower and upper octaves and G Major two octave scales. Also includes “Walking,” whole step half step exercises and “Skipping,” broken third exercises followed by a broken third challenge.
All exercises walk you through the scales rhythmically fostering an effortless and extremely efficient note reading experience.
Octave two
In the upper octave of the G Major scale we have a C natural on the A string which means, you are going to play a low two so your first and second finger are going to touch.
Remember I said earlier the half-step occurs between the B and the C? Since we play B and C on the A string our second and third gingers will be touching.
0123
ABCD
As we move to the E string, we continue with the same finger pattern of 1 and 2 touching with the last two notes being F sharp and G. This is our second half step F sharp and G. We have the same low 2 finger pattern on both the A and the E strings.
012
EF#G
Practice Tips
Always think the note names and where your half steps occur.
Practice your two octave G Major scale and say the names of the notes aloud as you play them while you go up the scale and coming down the scale.
G F-sharp E D C B A G F # E D C B A G
When you feel confident in your intonation (playing notes in tune) you can replace the open string coming down the scale with a fourth finger.
Once you have the notes learned and your left hand solid, you are ready to add rhythms. You can use the Twinkle rhythms – Mississippi stop stop, Down titi up titi for examples.
Basically starting with whole notes, half notes, quarter notes, eighth notes, triplets and sixteenth notes.
You can also practice skipping a note to play broken thirds.
Have fun with the G-major scale!
Let me know in the comments below which practice tip you will implement in your G Major scale practice sessions.
Trackbacks & Pingbacks
[…] scale on the violin. Now before you learn the G minor scale you want to make sure that you know the G Major scale very well before starting to work on the g harmonic minor […]
Leave a Reply
Want to join the discussion?Feel free to contribute!