Knowing What Scale to Use for a Guitar
Every guitar player looks to develop his own style of play. A way to do this is to explore the different types of scales available to you as an artist. Scales are composed with a series of notes formed as whole or half steps fretted on the guitar neck, and each has a distinctive sound. One fret distance equals a half step and two fret distances comprise a whole step. Knowing where the notes are positioned on your guitar fretboard will allow you to pick out the structure of each scale based on its whole/half step pattern. Learning multiple scales will broaden your musical knowledge and increase the number and types of songs you will be able to play.
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Instructions
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Choose music that is bright and melodic and you will most likely be interested in playing a major scale to play on your guitar. Examples of songs in this bright scale are "When the Saints Go Marching In" and "Joy to the World." To play the major scale, start by fingering the root note of the scale on the sixth string. For example for a G major scale start with the G note on the sixth string at the third fret. The major scale requires a whole step up from the root (G to A) followed by: a whole step (A to B) , a half (B to C), a whole (C to D), a whole (D to E), a whole (E to F#) a half (F# to G) to the root note an octave higher.
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Play a minor scale when you want to play notes from the major scale but with a different tonal voice that arises from half steps at the third and sixth notes to shape the minor scale. The minor scale is in contrast to the major and creates a "sad" sound. This natural minor scale is also called the Aeolian mode scale. An example of this sad sound can be found in the song "Wonderwall." To finger the scale in G begin at the sixth string third fret and move: a whole step (G to A), a half (A to B-), a whole (B- to C), a whole (C to D), a half (D to E-), a whole (E- to F), and a whole (F to G) to the root note one octave higher.
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Play the blues scale for a traditional rock sounds on your guitar. Songs like "Back in Black," "Sweet Home Alabama," and "Purple Haze" all base their solos around the blues scale. In fact most rock songs will have this scale as the only one used throughout the song. The blues scale is also known as the Pentatonic scale. To finger the blues scale in G begin at the sixth string third fret and select the notes from the root in order of : a whole (G to A), a whole (A to B), a whole (B to C#), a half (C# to D), a whole (D to E), a whole (E to F#) and a half step to return to the root note an octave higher (F# to G).
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Style your playing around classical or Spanish style scale climbs. This flamenco style scale is known as the Phrygian. What makes this unique sound is that in all cases the step from E to F is left at a half note while the other notes maintain whole steps. This scale is excellent for fast flourishing styles as in the song "Spanish Gypsy" Many fast metal rock bands such as Iron Maiden and speed guitarist Ynqwie Malmsteen use this scale. Finger this scale in G at the sixth string third fret and move to notes in order of a half step (G to A-), a whole (A- to B-), a whole (B- to C), a whole (C to D), a half (D to E-), a whole (E- to F) and a whole step to the root an octave higher (F to G).
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Tips & Warnings
Develop patterns to finger the notes. Create a box pattern that places the notes within fingering positions on several strings.
References
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