Scales 4 Beginners

That's Awesome!

Thanks Ginger from a newbie.

Cheers,
Landog

I picked up the guitar and came on this site about 5 days ago, so forgive me when I say I'm not sure exactly what you are showing us. Could you break it WAY down for a beginners beginner? Thanks!

I'm with Hugh

It looks impressive but what am I looking at ?

How do I play this ?

Hi barnabus I'm quite a beginner too regarding scales (i only play the G major scale). Anyway in a nut:

a) scales are a sequence of notes and as the most famous is the c-major one (the one that goes c, d, e, f, g, a, b, c that everyone knows by heart), there are several different ones: i.e. at least a major and a minor scale for each key;

b) to play them just pick each note once going from left to right and gong from the 6th string to the 1st. At the beginning I suggest you to play them at a slow speed (even 60-80 bpm) with a downstrum like they were quarter notes (so you could tap your foot each time you pick a note), then as you get better you could play them at higher speed or in 8ths way

Last thing: scales are needed for solos mainly but they're quite helpful to warm-up and to better your picking accuracy

Cheers

Matteo

Thanks Matteo

One smal thing I wish to clarify with you ..is...

" c, d, e, f, g, a, b, c that everyone knows by heart "

I must be a nobody as I don't know them by heart ......

Trevor

To play the c major scale you just play all the natural notes on the fretboard. If you start on the note of "A" you would play A,B,C,D,E,F,G. With c major its c,d,e,f,g, g is the last note before starting back with A again : a,b,c,d, ect. When you play those notes horizontally across the fretboard it forms the c major scale shapes. You can also play them vertically on one string , but most guitarists learn those later, since its eaiser to learn the scale "shapes" across the fretboard.

Thanks Matteo

One smal thing I wish to clarify with you ..is...

" c, d, e, f, g, a, b, c that everyone knows by heart "

I must be a nobody as I don't know them by heart ......

Trevor
hi trevor

when i was at primaty school we had music lessons. I did not learn anything since here in Italy they tried to teach us the flute:-)!

Anyway the only thing I retained of those lesson is the sequence of notes

c, d, e, f, g, a, b, c( an octave higher)

recently playing guitar I found out that these notes made up the c-major scales.

cheers

Matteo

p.s. how'your doin' with your strumming? send me a pm if you need some tip!

Ginger, thank you very much for sharing the scales with us! :D

Currently I'm working on the C major scale on different positions and I want to start with G major because I want to play/remember some classical pieces in that scale I played on piano. So these scales are fine for me :)

For these things usually I use the http://www.chordsandscales.co.uk site. You can select the scale, the guitar tuning, etc. and the system shows you a diagram with the notes on the fretboard.

Matteo: Here it is the same! :lol:

heres another link showing the positions of the major scale on a fretboard diagram. Its a 3 note per string pattern that I found easy to learn, but they are physically a stretch to hit sometimes. http://www.guitar.ch/en/info/scales/3notes_min_dots.html

Here's a more generic form of the same thing, with the interval names.

In many ways, intervals are the most important things to learn about music. They are the key to everything, chords, scales, melody, harmony, chord extension, naming things .... everything.

Anyway here they are for a root on the 5th or 6th string:
--|--4--|-----|--5--|-----|--6--|--
--|--1--|-----|--2--|-----|--3--|--
--|-----|--6--|-----|--7--|--1--|--
--|-----|--3--|--4--|-----|--5--|--
--|-----|--7--|--1--|-----|--2--|--
--|--4--|-----|--5--|-----|--6--|--

--|-----|--7--|--1--|-----|--2--|--
--|--4--|-----|--5--|-----|--6--|--
--|-----|--2--|-----|--3--|--4--|--
--|-----|--6--|-----|--7--|--1--|--
--|-----|--3--|--4--|-----|--5--|--
--|-----|--7--|--1--|-----|--2--|--


Here's a more generic form of the same thing, with the interval names.

In many ways, intervals are the most important things to learn about music. They are the key to everything, chords, scales, melody, harmony, chord extension, naming things .... everything.

Anyway here they are for a root on the 5th or 6th string:
--|--4--|-----|--5--|-----|--6--|--
--|--1--|-----|--2--|-----|--3--|--
--|-----|--6--|-----|--7--|--1--|--
--|-----|--3--|--4--|-----|--5--|--
--|-----|--7--|--1--|-----|--2--|--
--|--4--|-----|--5--|-----|--6--|--

--|-----|--7--|--1--|-----|--2--|--
--|--4--|-----|--5--|-----|--6--|--
--|-----|--2--|-----|--3--|--4--|--
--|-----|--6--|-----|--7--|--1--|--
--|-----|--3--|--4--|-----|--5--|--
--|-----|--7--|--1--|-----|--2--|--


Hi Helgi,

I've only been playing about 6 weeks, so....

I understand what you are saying about intervals - I'm trying to learn all about them - but I'm curious about something: Why did you show your diagrams like you did? Why not like this, for instance:

--|--1--|-----|--2--|-----|--3--|--
--|--5--|-----|--6--|-----|--7--|--
--|-----|--3--|--4--|-----|--5--|--
--|-----|--7--|--1--|-----|--2--|--
--|--4--|-----|--5--|-----|--6--|--
--|--1--|-----|--2--|-----|--3--|--

And why did you give diagrams for the root on the 5 and 6 strings - can't you always root on the 6th string by sliding up as many frets as necessary?

Thanks

Yes, you can slide them up. You can play in C using the root on the 5th string, 3rd fret (1st diagram) or you can play it with the root on the 6th string, 8th fret.

However, while your chart is entirely correct, it's not the most practical fingering pattern. Note how far you'd need to stretch your pinkie to play a 3, assuming you were playing the 1 with your index finger (middle is more usual).

I'm throwing together some good practice scales that show the notes and where they are on the fretboard

These scales are played in the second position. If you look at these from left to right there are the first 6 frets. Enjoy.

This is a great idea Ginger its a great way to learn the board i think but a bit cofused
so can you explain to me
(1) are these scales pentatonic
(2) does position mean shape (as in the 5 shapes )
like i have a book showing me the 5 shapes of the Gmaj scale and none of them match the ones above :?
(3)where do you start the scale
this is where iam confused i thought all notes in the same shape were the same
where on the fret board is the second poisition

frank2121, They're the major scale... your book may show pentatonic scales. and may only show 3-4 of the frets.
It's up to you where to start the scale, but that means modal music, whihc I won't go into. So start the scale at the root note(in G major, pick any G you wish and play from there!)