is it really necessary to play scales for a beginner?

It is good to work on a little of everything.

If learning a couple/few scales and naming the notes as you play them does nothing else for you, it will help with individual finger control and coordination.

Anything that helps your knowledge/awareness and finger development is a good thing. 8)

I think it's all a question of where you want to go as a musician. A lot of people seem to put a big mental barrier between "rhythm" and "lead" guitar, and I think it's a bit silly, honestly. Neither one is necessarily harder, depending on what you want to play, and they are elements of both mixed in with each other. Leads have to have some element of rhythm, and to really work with harmony you have to have some concept of melody.
Another question is whether you really mean scales or just 'scale patterns'. Anybody can play scale patterns night and day, but it will usually do little more than make him very good at playing a scale pattern. :lol: If you actually practice scales, and make sure to learn the notes of the scales and their function it will help make you a better musician, at least in my opinion. A working knowledge of scales can only benefit chordal playing, because it allows you to discover new voicings or extensions for chords and new melodic tools with which to work.
Obviously, much of this is pretty subjective and depends mostly on what YOU want.

I agree the distinction between lead/rhythm guitar is kind of silly. The guitar is such a versatile instrument... why would you restrict yourself to just half of what it can do? I teach both from the very beginning, because each helps the other - single notes build the fingers for chords, chords (approached the right way) develop the ear for changes and cadences, paving the way for target tones in improvisation.

That said, if you're not going to play 'lead' guitar, the value of scales drops - but it doesn't disappear. Scales will help you understand the fretboard, paving the way for 'jazz' chords like extensions and alterations. Scale runs are extremely common as bass line fills for rhythm guitarists. Scales are the foundation of chord theory, so if you understand scales it's easier to figure out more exotic stuff. Scales will buld finger speed and help you understand how to minimize motion - which makes for faster chord changes.

I've known only one really good guitarist over the years who refused to play scales. He had this whole line about how scale practice would limit him tonally blah blah blah. To me, it sounded a lot like the folks who say learning theory will stifle their creativity, or say nobody needs to learn to read music because Hendrix/Page/Malmsteen didn't. On the other extreme are folks like Andres Segovia, who said a serious guitarist should do two hours per day of scales.

I'm in the middle - scales are good and useful. I've played them every day for over 30 years. They probably take up 10% of my practice time overall.

"The height of the peak is determined by the width of the base."

Not sure who said that, but it's true.

Scales are an essential part of being a good musician. They are the building block of western music.

Segovia may have been overboard, but only because most guitarists don't have 2 hours a day to devote to practice, not because scales aren't that important.

Worse case Scales will help your dexterity.

Good insight in the previous posts there. :)

As a still-very-green beginner I'm using scales to help with my finger dexterity and coordination, and also to help me learn the notes.

As art&lutherie said, at the very least they'll help your dexterity ... has certainly helped me, particularly with landing chords. :)

To become a guitarist one does scales , to become a scientist one studies science .

that easy

L.K

The way I was taught scales (too many years ago) was in conjunction with musical notation. So in that context, not only was I learning to play, I was also learning to read music.
If you take that approach ( follow the notes on a musical staff as you play your scales) you will have a definite advantage no matter what style of guitar you want to play.

Hi all

thanks for your answers which are enlightning. So your messager is that things are to be made with a grain of salt (I'm not sure about this expression in English...but in italian it means to do things without excesses), so if it is unuseful to play only scales and not pratice rhytmhic patterns, it is true that a few scales won't hurt me.

I'll try to learn a few of them and devote them 10-15 minutes a day

Matteo

Rhythm guitarist don't just play chord progressions. They also play passing notes in between the chords. Not all chord progressions are made up of strictly chords,Shuffle rhythms for example are made up of combinations of chords and notes. In the same lead guitarist don't just play scales, they also use chords and inverted voicings combined with the scales. All the scales and chords you can learn will only make you a better guitarist.

Here's a few Tab'ed Scales to help you out.

Joe

Rhythm guitarist don't just play chord progressions. They also play passing notes in between the chords. Not all chord progressions are made up of strictly chords,Shuffle rhythms for example are made up of combinations of chords and notes. In the same lead guitarist don't just play scales, they also use chords and inverted voicings combined with the scales. All the scales and chords you can learn will only make you a better guitarist.

Here's a few Tab'ed Scales to help you out.

Joe

Hey Joe where did that page come from?

A few people have asked about tab'ed scale's and printable music sheets. Having recently finished class in XHTML and CSS, I did the pages one evening. Hope there useful.

Joe

Nice layout I like it.

Joe,

Thanks for that link and all the work you did setting it up. I already have it bookmarked.

Rob