5 Diatonic Patterns

Handout

Sean Beavers

www.seanbeavers.us/diatonicpatterns
What are the 5 diatonic patterns that can be used on the guitar to play notes in
the key of C major? See the following page.
 Pattern 1 - C major
E F G

B C D

G A

D E F

A B C

E F G

3 5 7 9 12
Pattern 2 - C major
G A

D E F

A B C

E F G

B C D

G A

3 5 7 9 12
Pattern 3 - C major
A B C

E F G

B C D

G A

D E F

A B C

3 5 7 9 12
Pattern 4 - C major
B C D

G A

D E F

A B C
E F G

B C D

3 5 7 9 12
Pattern 5 - C major
D E F

A B C

E F G

B C D

G A

D E F

7 9 12 15
How do you transpose these patterns into another key? The following
page shows how to do this in D major, but you can do this in any major
key.
Pattern 1 - D major
F G A

C D E

A B

E F G

B C D

F G A

3 5 7 9 12
Pattern 2 - D major
A B

E F G

B C D

F G A

C D E

A B

3 5 7 9 12
Pattern 3 - D major
B C D

F G A

C D E

A B

E F G

B C D

3 5 7 9 12
Pattern 4 - D major
C D E

A B

E F G

B C D
F G A

C D E

3 5 7 9 12
Pattern 5 - D major
E F G

B C D

F G A

C D E
A B

E F G

9 12 15 17
How do you play all 7 modes of C major? See the following page.
This process will also work for the modes of any other major scale.
 Pattern 1 - E Phrygian
E F G

B C D

G A

D
E F

A B C

E F G

3 5
Pattern 1 - F Lydian
E F G

B C D

G A

D
E F

A B C

E F G

3 5
Pattern 2 - G Mixolydian
G A

D E F

A B C

E F G

B C D

G A

3 5 7
Pattern 3 - A Aeolian (Natural Minor)
A B C

E F G

B C D

G A

D E F

A B C

3 5 7 9
Pattern 4 - B Locrian
B C D

G A

D E F

A B C

E F G

B C D

5 7 9 12
Pattern 4 - C Ionian (Major)
B C D

G A

D E F

A B C

E F G

B C D

5 7 9 12
Pattern 5 - D Dorian
D E F

A B C

E F G

B C D

G A

D E F

7 9 12 15
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