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The 7-shape Berklee scale system

The 7-shape Berklee scale system

Berklee Scale Shape

The 7-shape Berklee system can be seen as a mix between the CAGED and 3-notes-per-string (3NPS) system. The 7 shapes in the Berklee system can be derived from the 3NPS shapes by simply using the same note pattern at high E as used at low E string, then rearrange the notes at B and G string to include the notes from the scale in order, doing this a single note at either B or G string is removed and in two cases an identical shape from the CAGED system is formed.

;

Interesting to note is that the in-scale sub-patterns are somewhat inconsistent in the Berklee system. If the 1st to 6th is the lowest note in the shape on a string there are either one or two higher notes on the same string, this type of inconsistency is not present in either the CAGED nor the 3NPS system.

;
1.
C - Major / Ionian
E
4
♭5
5
♭6
6
♭7
7
1
♭2
2
♭3
3
4
♭5
5
B
1
♭2
2
♭3
3
4
♭5
5
♭6
6
♭7
7
1
♭2
2
G
♭6
6
♭7
7
1
♭2
2
♭3
3
4
♭5
5
♭6
6
♭7
D
♭3
3
4
♭5
5
♭6
6
♭7
7
1
♭2
2
♭3
3
4
A
♭7
7
1
♭2
2
♭3
3
4
♭5
5
♭6
6
♭7
7
1
E
4
♭5
5
♭6
6
♭7
7
1
♭2
2
♭3
3
4
♭5
5
123456789101112131415
2.
C - Major / Ionian
E
4
♭5
5
♭6
6
♭7
7
1
♭2
2
♭3
3
4
♭5
5
B
1
♭2
2
♭3
3
4
♭5
5
♭6
6
♭7
7
1
♭2
2
G
♭6
6
♭7
7
1
♭2
2
♭3
3
4
♭5
5
♭6
6
♭7
D
♭3
3
4
♭5
5
♭6
6
♭7
7
1
♭2
2
♭3
3
4
A
♭7
7
1
♭2
2
♭3
3
4
♭5
5
♭6
6
♭7
7
1
E
4
♭5
5
♭6
6
♭7
7
1
♭2
2
♭3
3
4
♭5
5
123456789101112131415
3.
C - Major / Ionian
E
4
♭5
5
♭6
6
♭7
7
1
♭2
2
♭3
3
4
♭5
5
B
1
♭2
2
♭3
3
4
♭5
5
♭6
6
♭7
7
1
♭2
2
G
♭6
6
♭7
7
1
♭2
2
♭3
3
4
♭5
5
♭6
6
♭7
D
♭3
3
4
♭5
5
♭6
6
♭7
7
1
♭2
2
♭3
3
4
A
♭7
7
1
♭2
2
♭3
3
4
♭5
5
♭6
6
♭7
7
1
E
4
♭5
5
♭6
6
♭7
7
1
♭2
2
♭3
3
4
♭5
5
123456789101112131415
4.
C - Major / Ionian
E
4
♭5
5
♭6
6
♭7
7
1
♭2
2
♭3
3
4
♭5
5
B
1
♭2
2
♭3
3
4
♭5
5
♭6
6
♭7
7
1
♭2
2
G
♭6
6
♭7
7
1
♭2
2
♭3
3
4
♭5
5
♭6
6
♭7
D
♭3
3
4
♭5
5
♭6
6
♭7
7
1
♭2
2
♭3
3
4
A
♭7
7
1
♭2
2
♭3
3
4
♭5
5
♭6
6
♭7
7
1
E
4
♭5
5
♭6
6
♭7
7
1
♭2
2
♭3
3
4
♭5
5
123456789101112131415
5.
C - Major / Ionian
E
4
♭5
5
♭6
6
♭7
7
1
♭2
2
♭3
3
4
♭5
5
B
1
♭2
2
♭3
3
4
♭5
5
♭6
6
♭7
7
1
♭2
2
G
♭6
6
♭7
7
1
♭2
2
♭3
3
4
♭5
5
♭6
6
♭7
D
♭3
3
4
♭5
5
♭6
6
♭7
7
1
♭2
2
♭3
3
4
A
♭7
7
1
♭2
2
♭3
3
4
♭5
5
♭6
6
♭7
7
1
E
4
♭5
5
♭6
6
♭7
7
1
♭2
2
♭3
3
4
♭5
5
123456789101112131415
6.
C - Major / Ionian
E
4
♭5
5
♭6
6
♭7
7
1
♭2
2
♭3
3
4
♭5
5
B
1
♭2
2
♭3
3
4
♭5
5
♭6
6
♭7
7
1
♭2
2
G
♭6
6
♭7
7
1
♭2
2
♭3
3
4
♭5
5
♭6
6
♭7
D
♭3
3
4
♭5
5
♭6
6
♭7
7
1
♭2
2
♭3
3
4
A
♭7
7
1
♭2
2
♭3
3
4
♭5
5
♭6
6
♭7
7
1
E
4
♭5
5
♭6
6
♭7
7
1
♭2
2
♭3
3
4
♭5
5
123456789101112131415
7.
C - Major / Ionian
E
4
♭5
5
♭6
6
♭7
7
1
♭2
2
♭3
3
4
♭5
5
B
1
♭2
2
♭3
3
4
♭5
5
♭6
6
♭7
7
1
♭2
2
G
♭6
6
♭7
7
1
♭2
2
♭3
3
4
♭5
5
♭6
6
♭7
D
♭3
3
4
♭5
5
♭6
6
♭7
7
1
♭2
2
♭3
3
4
A
♭7
7
1
♭2
2
♭3
3
4
♭5
5
♭6
6
♭7
7
1
E
4
♭5
5
♭6
6
♭7
7
1
♭2
2
♭3
3
4
♭5
5
123456789101112131415

Work hard, do good!

;

The 7-shape Berklee system can be seen as a mix between the CAGED and 3-notes-per-string (3NPS) system. The 7 shapes in the Berklee system can be derived from the 3NPS shapes by simply using the same note pattern at high E as used at low E string, then rearrange the notes at B and G string to include the notes from the scale in order, doing this a single note at either B or G string is removed and in two cases an identical shape from the CAGED system is formed.

;

Interesting to note is that the in-scale sub-patterns are somewhat inconsistent in the Berklee system. If the 1st to 6th is the lowest note in the shape on a string there are either one or two higher notes on the same string, this type of inconsistency is not present in either the CAGED nor the 3NPS system.

;
1.
C - Major / Ionian
Berklee Scale Shape
EADGBE
1
4
♭7
♭3
♭6
1
4
2
♭5
7
3
6
♭2
♭5
3
5
1
4
♭7
2
5
4
♭6
♭2
♭5
7
♭3
♭6
5
6
2
5
1
3
6
6
♭7
♭3
♭6
♭2
4
♭7
7
7
3
6
2
♭5
7
8
1
4
♭7
♭3
5
1
9
♭2
♭5
7
3
♭6
♭2
10
2
5
1
4
6
2
11
♭3
♭6
♭2
♭5
♭7
♭3
12
3
6
2
5
7
3
13
4
♭7
♭3
♭6
1
4
14
♭5
7
3
6
♭2
♭5
15
5
1
4
♭7
2
5
2.
C - Major / Ionian
Berklee Scale Shape
EADGBE
1
4
♭7
♭3
♭6
1
4
2
♭5
7
3
6
♭2
♭5
3
5
1
4
♭7
2
5
4
♭6
♭2
♭5
7
♭3
♭6
5
6
2
5
1
3
6
6
♭7
♭3
♭6
♭2
4
♭7
7
7
3
6
2
♭5
7
8
1
4
♭7
♭3
5
1
9
♭2
♭5
7
3
♭6
♭2
10
2
5
1
4
6
2
11
♭3
♭6
♭2
♭5
♭7
♭3
12
3
6
2
5
7
3
13
4
♭7
♭3
♭6
1
4
14
♭5
7
3
6
♭2
♭5
15
5
1
4
♭7
2
5
3.
C - Major / Ionian
Berklee Scale Shape
EADGBE
1
4
♭7
♭3
♭6
1
4
2
♭5
7
3
6
♭2
♭5
3
5
1
4
♭7
2
5
4
♭6
♭2
♭5
7
♭3
♭6
5
6
2
5
1
3
6
6
♭7
♭3
♭6
♭2
4
♭7
7
7
3
6
2
♭5
7
8
1
4
♭7
♭3
5
1
9
♭2
♭5
7
3
♭6
♭2
10
2
5
1
4
6
2
11
♭3
♭6
♭2
♭5
♭7
♭3
12
3
6
2
5
7
3
13
4
♭7
♭3
♭6
1
4
14
♭5
7
3
6
♭2
♭5
15
5
1
4
♭7
2
5
4.
C - Major / Ionian
Berklee Scale Shape
EADGBE
1
4
♭7
♭3
♭6
1
4
2
♭5
7
3
6
♭2
♭5
3
5
1
4
♭7
2
5
4
♭6
♭2
♭5
7
♭3
♭6
5
6
2
5
1
3
6
6
♭7
♭3
♭6
♭2
4
♭7
7
7
3
6
2
♭5
7
8
1
4
♭7
♭3
5
1
9
♭2
♭5
7
3
♭6
♭2
10
2
5
1
4
6
2
11
♭3
♭6
♭2
♭5
♭7
♭3
12
3
6
2
5
7
3
13
4
♭7
♭3
♭6
1
4
14
♭5
7
3
6
♭2
♭5
15
5
1
4
♭7
2
5
5.
C - Major / Ionian
Berklee Scale Shape
EADGBE
1
4
♭7
♭3
♭6
1
4
2
♭5
7
3
6
♭2
♭5
3
5
1
4
♭7
2
5
4
♭6
♭2
♭5
7
♭3
♭6
5
6
2
5
1
3
6
6
♭7
♭3
♭6
♭2
4
♭7
7
7
3
6
2
♭5
7
8
1
4
♭7
♭3
5
1
9
♭2
♭5
7
3
♭6
♭2
10
2
5
1
4
6
2
11
♭3
♭6
♭2
♭5
♭7
♭3
12
3
6
2
5
7
3
13
4
♭7
♭3
♭6
1
4
14
♭5
7
3
6
♭2
♭5
15
5
1
4
♭7
2
5
6.
C - Major / Ionian
Berklee Scale Shape
EADGBE
1
4
♭7
♭3
♭6
1
4
2
♭5
7
3
6
♭2
♭5
3
5
1
4
♭7
2
5
4
♭6
♭2
♭5
7
♭3
♭6
5
6
2
5
1
3
6
6
♭7
♭3
♭6
♭2
4
♭7
7
7
3
6
2
♭5
7
8
1
4
♭7
♭3
5
1
9
♭2
♭5
7
3
♭6
♭2
10
2
5
1
4
6
2
11
♭3
♭6
♭2
♭5
♭7
♭3
12
3
6
2
5
7
3
13
4
♭7
♭3
♭6
1
4
14
♭5
7
3
6
♭2
♭5
15
5
1
4
♭7
2
5
7.
C - Major / Ionian
Berklee Scale Shape
EADGBE
1
4
♭7
♭3
♭6
1
4
2
♭5
7
3
6
♭2
♭5
3
5
1
4
♭7
2
5
4
♭6
♭2
♭5
7
♭3
♭6
5
6
2
5
1
3
6
6
♭7
♭3
♭6
♭2
4
♭7
7
7
3
6
2
♭5
7
8
1
4
♭7
♭3
5
1
9
♭2
♭5
7
3
♭6
♭2
10
2
5
1
4
6
2
11
♭3
♭6
♭2
♭5
♭7
♭3
12
3
6
2
5
7
3
13
4
♭7
♭3
♭6
1
4
14
♭5
7
3
6
♭2
♭5
15
5
1
4
♭7
2
5

Work hard, do good!

;