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Advanced Guitar Scales If you are a Rock, Country, Southern Rock, Metal, Soft Rock, Country Rock, or Pop guitar player, and you want to play lead guitar, then the information below will get you headed in the right direction. I will show you scales that you can start using right away in your playing. It’s time to learn scales that you can use right away, and not waste time on scales that you may never use. This is what I call the “Just learn the scales you need – and start practicing” method. There’s no reason to learn a “Phrygian” scale mode if you are never going to use it? So here’s what I recommend – learn the information below about the scales that you can start using right away in your playing, get proficient at these scales, then move on to more intense scale modes - if that’s the direction you want to go in. Let’s get started… The main scales that you should focus on if you are a beginner or intermediate are the following: Start with these scales - these scales may be all you ever need? 1. The “minor pentatonic” scales 2. The “Blues” scales 3. The “Major Pentatonic” scales Then move on to these scales if you are looking for a bigger challenge… 4. The “Major” scales 5. The “Dorian” scales 6. The “Mixolydian” scales Minor pentatonic, blues, and Major pentatonic scales First, let’s start with the minor pentatonic, the blues, and the Major pentatonic scales – which are pretty much the most well known and used scales. Each of these scales will have at least 5 patterns that you will need to learn. The good thing is that once you learn the “minor pentatonic” scales, then the “blues” scales and Major pentatonic scales will be a piece of cake. Why? The blues scale is exactly like the minor pentatonic scale, but with “one” extra note added. The Major pentatonic scales are exactly the same as the minor pentatonic scales, but they just start at different positions on the fret board (same scale, they just start at different frets). The “Minor Pentatonic” Scales Here are the 5 basic “minor pentatonic” scale positions - Each Scale will have a Video Clip attached to it. As you will soon discover, they will all fit together like a puzzle…All scales will be shown in the key of “A” unless specified. Used in Rock, Metal, Southern Rock, Pop HANDOUT - All the Minor Pentatonic Scales - CLICK HERE! Here is a video clip example of a Minor Pentatonic Scale over a Chord Progression - played very slowly at first so you can hear the notes over the chords. VIDEO CLIP - CLICK HERE! The “Blues” Scales Here are the 5 basic “Blues” scale positions - Each Scale will have a Video Clip attached to it. As you will soon discover, they will all fit together like a puzzle (as shown in the above diagram). All scales will be shown in the key of “A” unless specified. Used in Blues, Slow Rock, etc. Notice that the “Blues” scales are exactly the same as the “minor pentatonic” scales, but they have an extra note added (this is the note that adds the bluesy sound to the scales). | | | | Minor Pentatonic Scale #1 | | Blues Scale #1 |
Note: The added note is called a “passing note” because you really won’t land on it when soloing (it’s just a note to get you to other notes). HANDOUT - All the Blues Scales – CLICK HERE! Here is a video clip example of a Blues Scale over a Chord Progression – played very slowly at first so you can hear the notes over the chords. VIDEO CLIP – CLICK HERE! The “Major Pentatonic" Scales Here are the 5 basic “Major Pentatonic” scale positions – Each Scale will have a Video Clip attached to it. As you will soon discover, they will all fit together like a puzzle…All scales will be shown in the key of “A” unless specified. Used in Country, Country Rock, Southern Rock, Rock. HANDOUT - All the Major Pentatonic Scales – CLICK HERE! Here is a video clip example of a Major Pentatonic Scale over a Chord Progression – played very slowly at first so you can hear the notes over the chords. VIDEO CLIP – CLICK HERE! Notice that the “Major Pentatonic” scales are exactly the same as the “minor pentatonic” scales, but they will start at different positions on the fret board. | | | | | Minor Pentatonic Scale #1 | | Major Pentatonic Scale #5 |
The root notes are also different – make sure you memorize the root notes… The “Puzzle” I keep talking about how each of the 5 scale patterns in each mode fit together like a “Puzzle” on the fret board – so I will explain the puzzle thing now. First I will play all the minor pentatonic scales down the fret board, then up the fret board (see video clips below). Then show you a diagram showing all the minor pentatonic scales on the fret board (as best as I can). This information should give you a better idea of what I mean by the “Puzzle.” All Minor Pentatonic Scales Down the Fret Board Video Clip – CLICK HERE! All Minor Pentatonic Scales Up the Fret Board Video Clip – CLICK HERE! Now let’s take a look at a Diagram of the Scale “Puzzle” | | |
The "Puzzle" Example – Handout – CLICK HERE! Practice Tips for improving your playing skills – Scales. 1. Play each scale over and over, up and down the fret board and back. 2. Take your time, always get a good, clean sound from each of the notes you play. 3. Use the Down / Up picking sequence consistently – don’t cheat. 4. Don’t try to play too fast – too soon, or you will develop bad habits (the scales will sound sloppy). 5. As you play a scale be aware of the root notes (all of them). 6. Once you are comfortable with a scale, start practicing your lead playing by using chord progressions. Chord Progressions Section – CLICK HERE! 7. Set aside some time each day to practice, a consistent practice plan is essential to developing your skills. 8. Improvise, try different notes over different chords, understand what notes sound best to land on, play notes in different order, etc. Be creative, use your imagination. Are you ready for a bigger challenge? So you are done with those “easy” pentatonic and blues scales, and you are looking for something a little more challenging. I have to first ask you this question? Are you really ready to move on, has your lead playing developed enough to warrant moving on? Or are you going to move on to even harder scales, and end up being “overwhelmed” with too much information? Be careful; just make sure that you are proficient enough with the scales you already know – before you move on! The following scales are more difficult than the pentatonics, and will take more practice than what you are used to. First, you will be learning the “Major” scales. Then you will find that the “Dorian” scales and the “Mixolydian” scales are exactly the same as the Major Scales, but they will just start on different positions on the fret board. Pretty cool, right! Once you learn the Major scale and the 5 positions, all you will have to do is to learn the new positions for the Dorian and Mixolydian scales (same scales, just at different positions on the fret board). The “Major" Scales Here are the 5 basic “Major” scale positions – Each Scale will have a Video Clip attached to it. As with all other scales, they will all fit together like a puzzle…All scales will be shown in the key of “A” unless specified. Used in Jazz, Country, etc. HANDOUT - All the Major Scales – CLICK HERE! The “Dorian" Scales Here are the 5 basic “Dorian” scale positions – Each Scale will have a Video Clip attached to it. As you will soon discover, they will all fit together like a puzzle…All scales will be shown in the key of “A” unless specified. Used in Jazz, Rock HANDOUT - All the Dorian Scales – CLICK HERE! Notice that the “Dorian” scales are exactly the same as the “Major” scales, but they will start at different positions on the fret board. | | | | Major Scale #1 | | Dorian Scale #5 |
The "Mixolydian" Scales Here are the 5 basic “Mixolydian” scale positions – Each Scale will have a Video Clip attached to it. As you will soon discover, they will all fit together like a puzzle…All scales will be shown in the key of “A” unless specified. Used mostly over Jazz type chords. HANDOUT - All the Mixolydian Scales – CLICK HERE! Notice that the “Mixolydian” scales are exactly the same as the “Major” scales, but they will start at different positions on the fret board. | | | | Major Scale #1 | | Mixolydian Scale #3 |
Experimenting and Improvisation will be the Key… If you want to develop your lead playing skills, you first must be able to play each scale with ease (you must memorize all the scales). Then, you have to do a lot of jamming – whether it’s with other guitarists or use recorded chord progressions. CHORD PROGRESSIONS MENU – CLICK HERE! You must memorize the sound that each scale has, which chords the scales work best over, and which notes sound best to land on, etc. You must experiment, don’t be lazy or boring. Don’t play the same notes the same way every time you Jam – experiment with different notes (understand which notes sound right, and which notes don’t sound right). You have to memorize the scales to the point where you actually start to see them on the fret board – recalling them with ease. Sounds like its pretty difficult, but actually, after a lot of practice, it will usually just come to you. Common Mistakes made by Guitarists 1. Trying to play a scale too fast, too soon. Practice a scale only as fast as you are capable of, get a good, clean sound from each note (sloppy sounding scales will get you nowhere). 2. Trying to do it all on your own – Many players waste a lot of time trying to figure things out on their own. I can assure you that a couple lessons with a good teacher can get you moving quickly in the right direction. It may be just what you need? 3. Understanding when your teacher just cannot help you anymore! If you are not being challenged by your guitar teacher, then it’s time to move on. Don’t be timid about changing teachers, it’s your future, do what’s best for you. 4. Make it Interesting! Yes, practicing scales for hours will be boring, but will eventually be very beneficial to your development. But you also have to try to keep it fun. So learn some songs that are interesting for you to play, that make you feel good. You have to create a balance between hard core practicing and playing some songs that are interesting (fun). 5. Playing with other Musicians, use Chord Progressions, or Drum Tracks – Don’t put a time frame on this, play with other musicians as much as possible (whenever you can, and wherever you can). It doesn’t matter if you make mistakes when you are jamming, as long as you are fixing the mistakes. Jamming with others will not only show you how and where you are progressing as a guitarist – it will also help to point out your “flaws” and what you need to work on. Do it now, don’t make excuses, find someone to play with…or Jam to Chord Progressions – CLICK HERE! Or try Jamming with the Drum Tracks – CLICK HERE! 6. What on earth are you playing? One of the hardest things a guitarist can do is to be honest about their playing. What I mean by this is that you really need to “listen” to what you are playing. Sometimes you will see guitarists playing along with songs, and they are so loud, you can’t even tell if they are playing the song correctly (and most likely they aren’t playing the song correctly). Are you in tune? Are you playing the scale correctly? Does the scale sound sloppy? All things to listen for when you are playing (and practicing). Be a good listener, and be honest about your playing – and most of all, slow down if you need to. Again, I cannot stress enough that there is really no other way to become highly skilled at playing scales other than lots of practice. The more time you put into it, the more you will get out of it…lots of repetition and hard work is the only way!
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Advanced Scales 
