How to Learn Guitar Scales - from Pentatonic to Modes

Let's get into the concept of easily learning scales on the guitar by relating a chord shape to a scale. This will help you tremendously in moving forward with your understanding of this somewhat-tricky-to-master instrument...

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Guitar (Electric or Acoustic) - properly stringed, and in tune.
• A notebook or writing pad to write these things down yourself - this will help you retain what you learn
• You may wish to get the info already set up for you from joedocmusic.com

1. Make sure that you are familiar with how the guitar is stringed and properly tuned. This is why I haven't rated the article as 'absolute beginner' - you will need to understand a few basics. You may consider the "Ultimate Chord Guide" from www.joedocmusic.com which combines easy diagrams with audio-at-a-click to get a good start on your basic chords. You will need to know your basic chords to make this work for you.

2. Note: You do NOT have to be able to read notes, or even name them to make this work for you. In fact, many professional players are blissfully ignorant of the notes of the guitar. What they all DO understand however, is the importance of the RELATIONSHIP of all the notes, and most of all - the relationship of the notes to chords.

3. We will get going now with a very basic observation; that chords contain at least three different notes, and these notes belong to a scale with the same name as the chord! So, a C major chord contains 3 notes from the C major scale. This makes a great starting point for learning

4. 
    
   copyright 2008 joe dochtermann

   Here is a diagram of a C major chord in open position. Take a look, and try to get the shape of it into your mind's eye as well, so you will be able to 'see' the chord shape inside the scale.

5. 
    
   copyright 2008 joe dochtermann

   So, that chord shape contains the Root, 3rd, and 5th of the Cmajor scale. In a manner of speaking, that is how the chord is 'built' - so naturally, those notes are there. Again, more good, solid lessons made clearly understandable (with audio!) are available at www.joedocmusic.com
   
   Let's now add two more notes to that diagram. We will add the 2nd and the 6th. This is now a 5-note or 'pentatonic' scale. Have a look. Do you still 'see' the C major chord inside?

6. 
    
   copyright 2008 joe dochtermann

   The pentatonic scale is a very accessible collection of notes, which lends itself easily to improvising melodies. With the addition of the 4th and the 7th, we now comlete the C major scale. Have a look:

7. So, there we have a C major scale in the open position. It is perhaps not the most common scale shape used on the guitar, since it starts on the A-string, but nonetheless, it is EASY to remember, because you relate it to something you know!
   
   For more info in this direction, including how to learn more complex scales and modes (with tabs to accompany the diagrams) and how to apply these to real playing situations, check out the Master the Fretboard Method and The Ultimate Chord Guide on www.joedocmusic.com

Tips & Warnings

• Always play melodies - Don't just run up and down scales - make music!
• Learn the basics of harmony, and get a feel for how it works. The courses on joedocmusic.com make these things easy to understand without difficult, dry theory.
• Play with others - A jam partner is much better than a metronome or practice CD. Music is communication, after all!
• Don't overdo practicing or playing, and if you feel any pain, soreness or numbness in your wrists or fingers, take a break! If you hurt yourself with some sort of repetitive motion injury, you could ruin your enjoyment of the instrument for good...
• Get yourself a DECENT instrument, this doesn't necessarily mean expensive! Bu a hard-to-play, bad sounding guitar takes the fun out of playing. There are excellent guitars available for a bargain now, and you don't need a Fender or a Gibson to get a decent tone either. More on this in the Master the Fretboard book.

Resources

• LEARN GUITAR SCALES CHORDS AND ARPEGGIOS - MASTER THE FRETBOARD!

[shreddy]

on 7/4/2009 Good article!
It also helps to practice these over specific backing tracks designed to help you hear the modes as well.
This website specializes in quality educational backing tracks for guitar players: http://www.guitarplayback.com