Learn to go from 3nps to “in-position” scales in 1 minute

* assuming you read at least 200 w.p.m.

If you know the 3nps “grand unification” pattern, and how to take into account the Major 3rd interval between the G and B strings, here’s a quick hack to remember the five in-position patterns of the Major scale modes.

To build the 3nps pattern, we started with seven three-note patterns that lie within the “parent” scale:

Figure 1: The seven three-note subsequences of the parent scale
Figure 1: The seven three-note subsequences of the parent scale

“In-position” scale fingerings avoid the large stretches of the 3nps patterns. To create them, we get rid of the “4” and “1” patterns and replace the “5” pattern with just two notes, the 5th and 6th scale degrees of the parent scale.

If we go back to our imaginary multi-stringed instrument, all tuned in perfect fourth intervals, the result is a five-string pattern that repeats over and over:

Figure 2: The "in-position" template
Figure 2: The “in-position” template

Instead of 7-3-6-2-5-1-4, the repeating pattern is now just 7-3-6-2-5. I like to think of the abbreviated row as “wrapping” the pattern around the 5th scale degree of the parent scale.

Just as we did with the 3nps “grand unification” pattern, we can start a scale pattern from each of the five starting fingerings. If we do this, and take into account the 3rd interval between the G and B strings, we get the following in-position scale patterns:

Figure 3: In-position scale pattern starting on the second degree of the parent scale
Figure 3: In-position scale pattern starting on the second degree of the parent scale
Figure 4: In-position scale pattern starting on the third degree of the parent scale
Figure 4: In-position scale pattern starting on the third degree of the parent scale
Figure 5: In-position scale pattern starting on the fifth degree of the parent scale
Figure 5: In-position scale pattern starting on the fifth degree of the parent scale
Figure 6: In-position scale pattern starting on the sixth degree of the parent scale
Figure 6: In-position scale pattern starting on the sixth degree of the parent scale
Figure 7: In-position scale pattern starting on the seventh degree of the parent scale
Figure 7: In-position scale pattern starting on the seventh degree of the parent scale

To quote Rick Beato, “like that.”