they are inverted. In contrast, inversions of chords in standard tuning require three fingers on a span of four frets, in standard tuning, the shape of inversions depends on the involvement of the irregular major-third. Regular musical intervals In each regular tuning, the musical intervals are the same for each pair of consecutive strings. Other regular tunings include all-fourths, augmented-fourths, and all-fifths tunings. For each regular tuning, chord patterns may be moved around the fretboard, a property that simplifies beginners' learning of chords and advanced players' improvisation. In contrast, chords cannot be shifted around the fretboard in standard tuning, which requires four chord-shapes for the major chords: There are separate fingerings for chords having root notes on one of the four strings three–six. Shifting chords: Vertical and diagonal The repetition of the major-thirds tuning enables notes and chords to be raised one octave by being vertically shifted by three strings. Notes and chords may be shifted diagonally in major-thirds tuning, by combining a vertical shift of one string with a horizontal shift of four frets: "Like all regular tunings, chords in the major third tuning can be moved across the fretboard (ascending or descending a major third for each string)...." In standard tuning, playing scales of one octave requires three patterns, which depend on the string of the root note. Chords cannot be shifted diagonally without changing finger-patterns. Standard tuning has four finger-patterns for musical intervals, four forms for basic major-chords, and three forms for the inversion of the basic major-chords. Open chords and beginning players Major-thirds tunings are unconventional open tunings, in which the open strings form an augmented triad. In M3 tunings, the augmented fifth replaces the perfect fifth of the major triad, which is used in conventional open-tunings. For example, the C-augmented triad (C,E,G) has a G in place of the C-major triad's G. (The note G is enharmonically equivalent to A, as noted above.) Consequently, M3 tunings are also called (open) augmented-fifth tunings (in French "La guitare #5, majeure quinte augmentée"). Instructional literature uses standard tuning. Traditionally a course begins with the hand in first position, that is, with the left-hand covering frets 1–4. Beginning players first learn open chords belonging to the major keys C, G, and D. Guitarists who play mainly open chords in these three major-keys and their relative minor-keys (Am, Em, Bm) may prefer standard tuning over an M3 tuning. In particular,