I wrote something relevant in a topic about scales recently… in respinse to this.
Good point and a very fair question.
Both of the scale patterns in Grade 2 use open strings. In that sense they are open position patterns, not movable.
NB - Technically that is a simplification and they are movable - more on that below.
Justin is very keen for beginners to develop certain skills and knowledge early on:
1] knowing the notes names of the open strings and fretted notes up to and including fret 3;
2] being able to play riffs and single strings;
3] beginning to explore a little of the sound of scales and a taste of playing a scale in an improvisatory style.
Both the E minor pentatonic scale and the C major scale reinforce all of those.
Only when the full modules that cover ‘major scale learning’ and then ‘minor pentatonic scale learning’ come along does Justin reset and start from the conventional Pattern 1 of each. He proceeds using the CAGED system of five patterns.
I think that informs Justin’s method but I can only guess, not speak for him.
@stitch in asking for a source I was making a genuine enquiry and not being argumentative.
@Matt125
I am a great fan of the A chord and the A-shape scale being intertwined so that both coexist and one can be seen as the source of the other depending on your start pount (@Lisa_S chicken & egg).
But I do not see the value in insisting that the A-shape major scale (nor the G, D or E shapes) are deficient or sub-optimal because their entire scale patterns are not quite available in open position.
I am not advocating for any shape / pattern to be primary or numero uno. I see CAGED as circular with five potential entry / exit points. I merely observe that in my experience, the majority consensus and convention in teaching is that the E-shape is also described as pattern 1.
I totally see the merit of C major being first. Its seven-natural notes structure makes it easy to study as a first step. It may be ideally suited to piano / keyboard too - though I have a suspicion that piano players do not like it as ir omits all black keys, thus offers no 2-black-3-black navigational guides for the fingers that others keys do. On piano, C major is a featureless landscape.
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@stitch I’m familiar with that video - I wrote an extensive forum topic using it as inspiration some years ago. C major is a great beginner scale on guitar because the scale is right there where the beginner chords are. There are six easy beginner chords (thinking of Fmaj7) that give the main diatonic chords of the key.
G major also has beginner friendly diatonic chords, apart from Bm but that can be llayed without a barre using only four strings. There is a version of a G major scale that also sits in open position… though it does require one fretted note at fret 4 and is not, strictly, a CAGED shape.
Both scale patterns are great beyind beginner and lend themselves to melodic fingerstyle playing.
Who knows why E-shape has become the de facto pattern 1. Like most conventions, I suggest the first occurrence has been lost to the annals of music study and has just become what it is now - an arbitrary choice, no doubt supported by strong rationale, that has taken the form of a rule.