Are you feeling like you want to just give up on scales - like you NEVER want to play another scale? Have you tried learning scales and only met with frustration? Have you tried scale studies in the past only to find yourself giving up on the practice of them and then forgetting them altogether? 

 

 

 

 

Playing scales can seem like a massive undertaking to guitar students who fear hours upon hours of work spent on training pattern after pattern everywhere along and across the neck. 

 

Let's face it, learning all of the shapes isn't easy, plus you'll need to learn how to use them. But, there is a trick that makes everything easier.

In this lesson, I’m going to show you that learning scales is not something to be fearful of. As long as you avoid the most common scale practice mistake. 

 

In fact, it is possible to build scales with little to no effort as long as you get all of these ideas, (I show in the video) correct. So that said, let’s dive in and start making sure you know the right way to learn scales on guitar.

 

WATCH THE VIDEO:

Perhaps you’re practicing scales for the first time. Or maybe, this is the second or third time that you’re trying to learn them, and if that's the case you’re probably hoping that this is the time that you really learn the scales. 

 

Hopefully, this is going to be the time that your scales will come together in your playing and you’ll finally start to sound like your favorite guitar player. 

 

If you feel that you’re ready to learn scales on guitar, then I have good news.

I’m here to tell you that as long as you’re not making some big scale mistakes, and as long as you follow the path with scales that I’m about to go through with you, your future with learning scales will be set from here onward and you’ll be off and running with them. 

 

Grab your guitar and let’s start learning what it is that is so important about learning scales – that if you leave it out - you’ll probably never learn to use them effectively.

 

 

 

 

Example 1).
The typical way of learning a scale is by learning a group of what seem like random notes or by simply learning a shape. For example, here’s a 5th-string, “C” Major scale.

 

 

An approach like the one shown above sets up the scale tones on the neck for us but, it unfortunately does not provide us with an understanding of which notes will give us (as guitar players), the help that we need for how to learn to actually use the scale.

 

 

 

 

There is a better way of learning scales aside from seeing them as they're shown in most cases, (as just a random group of notes that don’t actually provide us with a clear direction of what it is that the scale does). 

 

Instead of learning a scale pattern like that - we will get more from the scale by learning the purpose of the notes found in the scale.

 

Doing that will help us learn the musical direction of the scale. Knowing musical direction will help us to be able to more effectively use the scale to perform music.

 

Example 2).
Scale Roots /the Scale's Naming Notes (Octaves)

 

You’ve probably heard the naming note for a scale called pairs of “Root Notes or Tonic Notes.” Or, sometimes they’re referred to as “Octaves.” If you do not know, these notes are the all important naming note of the scale. 

 

It’s a good idea to always explore not one but two directions for them on the neck before performing your scale layout. Normally, we have octaves heading upwards to the guitar body or downward to the head-stock.

 

 

 

 

Example 3).
Major and Minor Thirds (Define Scale Quality) 

 

Major 3rd:

 

 Minor 3rd:

Another important step of our scale is the major 3rd. You should always know where it is in the scale and how to convert it from a major 3rd to a minor 3rd. 

 

This note creates a scales “color.” Which is referred to in music theory as a scales, “Major or Minor” “Tonality.”

 

Coming up, I’ve got several more scale ideas to learn, but first I want to tell you about a special promotional offer that’s related to my Handouts Collection eBook. 

 

 

Example 4).
Major and Minor 7th’s: 

 

 Major 7th:

 Minor 7th:

 

The next scale step that most guitar players and even guitar teachers will overlook with their students is the scales seventh degree. 

 

The seventh step of the scale is a lot like the 3rd. It converts from Major to Minor and can play a role with tonality and scale effect.

 

In fact the combination of Major 3rd with Minor 7th is the defining characteristic of a popular mode called, “Mixolydian.”

 

 

Example 5).
Perfect 4th and Perfect 5th:

 

Perfect 5th:

Perfect 4th:

Luckily, the next scale steps are very popular within chords, and most guitar players do tend to know about them. These steps are the scales 4th and 5th degrees. 

 

These are important color tones too, but for a different reason. The 4th and 5th are very stable and they provide a lot of strength in a musical statement. These tones are also ones that can be interesting to land on when creating melodic lines. 

 

Just be careful when applying them because sometimes they offer too much impact and they won’t be the best choice in every playing situation.

 

Example 6). Major and Minor 6th:

 

Major 6th:

 Minor 6th:

 

When it comes to scale tone understanding, the Major and Minor 6th are far too often overlooked. These tones are the most interesting when they get used to replace the Major or Minor 3rd or when they get used to harmonize melody lines. 

 

And, when you’re studying the scale for melodic phrasing, be sure to practice landing on the major or minor 6th. They can drift in Minor keys, and the Major 6th is one of the main notes we pay attention to in a scale called, Dorian Mode.

 

I like to write a lot of music, and when I do that, I spend quite a bit of time on organizing different “harmonized melodic lines.” 

 

And, until I knew about the ideas that I just went over here with you - in this lesson - I always had a difficult time using the notes of scales. It’s one of the main reasons that so many guitar players get stuck using the Pentatonic Scale for such a long time. 

 

The 5-tones of the Pentatonic scale have all the half-steps removed. And, this makes the Pentatonic easier to perform melody with because the tones that will tend to clash the most with the chords in the backing track are removed. 

 

But, when you know the options that I just finished discussing here in this lesson, you’ll be able to play and use the full 7-tone scales easier and apply them better than you ever had before!