What do the smaller half sized dots mean?

The half sized dots refer to the notes just beyond the end of the Map because there is an inherent limitation to the Map. It can only span so many frets. So we chose to cover the first 12 frets because the patterns repeat after that point anyway.

As an example, with the Cmajor map, you will notice that the 3rd box starts at then end of the Map - at the 12th fret to be exact. The same place where the guitar map ends.


So to finish playing that particular scale mode would entail playing the notes beyond the end of the Map and continuing up to the 15th fret.

But if that is too confusing for you, learn the 3rd pattern box by playing it at the “lower” end over the first few frets. You can easily do this by noting the color of the 3rd box and the dark blue color of the bracket around the box.

Flip your eyes back to the nut or zero fret and you will see the blue brackets marking the end of the box. Play any of the notes within the blue box.

Remember that the half size notes refer to the notes when you play the open strings E, A, D, G, B, E. We had to differentiate between notes that fit within the physical limits of the Map and those which are found just beyond the last fret position covered by the Map.

If you learn this pattern (3) it is simply repeated if you are playing at the 12th fret to the 15th fret.