What’s going on here? Is the TAB in reference to the chart above?(C Major across all Six String with Root on the Fifth String).
The TAB says to start on 5th string frets 3 then 2, but shouldn’t it be the other way around? This looks backwards.
3 2 2
C B B
5 3 5
A G A
Am I not gathering the information here here correctly? Am I over thinking this?
The C Root Note makes sense on the A string when continuing going up. What am I not getting?
You can play it anyhow you like, a scale is just a set of notes, they can be played in any order, backward, forward or any variation you want. The notes make the scale, the order or direction is irrelevant.
What I say in the book is really regarding how you practise and learn the scales. Most scale diagrams are shown using all six strings and beginners tend to use the sixth string as the starting point – when you look at a diagram then it seems logical to start at the top or bottom and play the notes in order. Nothing wrong with this other than it makes harder work of learning and memorising. If we want to play a C scale of any kind then the focus needs to be on the C note. If you repeatedly start this scale on the sixth string then you need to start on G for this particular position. If you now move along to the next position you would need to start on A and so on.
It’s makes harder work for your brain by drawing the attention away from the root note. You could, as you say, start on the C fifth string and just move up the strings ascending from that point – you could do this and just leave out the sixth string all together – that’s also fine.
If you start at the root and then play descending through the pattern before coming back again ascending – it just makes you put your focus on the root note while still learning the full pattern across all six strings. A lot of teachers use this method. It might sound a bit pointless but when you get to where you are learning different scales, modes, arpeggios etc., in many different keys, then things can really start to get muddled up if the attention isn’t centred around the root- it will also slow down your progress with ear training if you repeatedly start on a non-root note.
Bottom line is play the scale however you like, any direction you like but starting (and ending) on the root will help you memorise the patterns more efficiently and help with training your ears. In other words, if you want to practise the pattern shown in the book (C major across six strings root on fifth fret) – don’t learn it by starting on the G 3rd fret 6th string.
Does that help?
