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Scales

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(@taylorr)
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Joined: 21 years ago
Posts: 736
Topic starter  

Which ones are the bare essiential ones for a new guy to learn? I told a guy id teach him some but dunno what to teach.

aka Izabella


   
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 Mike
(@mike)
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Joined: 20 years ago
Posts: 2892
 

Major, Minor and Pentatonic.

That's a good start.


   
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(@sg-supreme)
Active Member
Joined: 20 years ago
Posts: 3
 

pentatonic is sweet...u might also like to check out the diatonic...use a lot by les paul in the beginning!


   
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(@snoogans775)
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Joined: 20 years ago
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I think that any more than 2 scales is too much to learn at one time, just teach him the minor pentatonic and the major scale, he'll probably fill in the blanks in the pentatonic by himself

I don't follow my dreams, I just ask em' where they're going and catch up with them later.
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 Pup
(@pup)
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I think that any more than 2 scales is too much to learn at one time, just teach him the minor pentatonic and the major scale, he'll probably fill in the blanks in the pentatonic by himself

I agree, and then just tell him (yourself) that the forms are moveable all over the fret board. And to practice them everyday!


   
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(@call_me_kido)
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Joined: 20 years ago
Posts: 179
 

Definately the Major and Minor pentatonics and the major scale. Even though the minor pentatonics are used more, the major is a good way to note how scale tones are removed from the whole major scale to make the major pentatonic.

How are you going to teach him?

Kido


   
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(@slothrob)
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Joined: 20 years ago
Posts: 472
 

If you teach the minor pentatonic and that the major pentatonic can be created by starting at the 3rd of the minor and that it can start on the 5th or 6th string, then he would be able to (try to) solo in any key in major and minor but only have to learn one scale to start. It's a pretty satisfying bit of basic knowledge.
Then you should also teach the major scale so he can start to learn some basic theory.


   
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(@markminni)
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Joined: 20 years ago
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Start with minor pentatonic (it is easy and fun to play around in), once they are comfortable with all 5 patterns teach them how they relate to the major pentatonic scale. Then move on to the major scale, once they are comfortable with all 5 patterns of the major scale, teach them the modes base off of the major scales. That will give them enough scale knowledge to most anything (the meat & potatoes), all other scales that they will learn will extra bonus for them to develope their musical horizons (the gravy)


   
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(@distortocaster)
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Joined: 20 years ago
Posts: 4
 

step 1:

pentatonic, major, minor

step 2:

blues (3 of them at least), harmonic and melodic minor

step 3:

start practicing chromatics for finger strength and stuff


   
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(@steve-0)
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Joined: 20 years ago
Posts: 1162
 

step 1:

pentatonic, major, minor

step 2:

blues (3 of them at least), harmonic and melodic minor

step 3:

start practicing chromatics for finger strength and stuff

I think Step 3 should be part of Step 1 because memorizing chromatics is a breeze and it'll help them get more comfortable with the guitar. Pentatonics and Diatonic scales are great for developping an ear for music.

Steve-0


   
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(@greybeard)
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Joined: 21 years ago
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Teach intervals - if they know those, then they also know major, minor, pentatonic, etc..

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(@sinister_hack)
Eminent Member
Joined: 20 years ago
Posts: 38
 

FWIW learning the construction of the major and minor scales the playing them as I say the notes has been helping me a lot both in knowing the scales and key signatures. Its also helping me to know the notes on the fretboard.


   
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(@cmoewes)
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Joined: 20 years ago
Posts: 111
 

I wish I had spent more time learning the "harder" scale patterns.

For instance, one of the "easy" pentatonic scale is the pattern based of the E chord/scale shape

1 --5------8--
2 --5------8--
3 --5---7-----
4 --5---7-----
5 --5---7-----
6 --5------8--

And that one is pretty easy to get wired and that is the first one most people learn. But the other patterns are not as easy (for me) to get wired. So I wish I had forced myself to learn the other patterns first because I fond I rely on this pattern almost all the time.

The other thing is to learn your octaves which is where your scale patterns will cross over each other, because that will help you to learn how to move your scales around the neck. For example.

1 -------------
2 -------------
3 -------------
4 -------------
5 --5---7-----
6 --5------8--

is the same as this just an octove higher

1 -----------------
2 -----------------
3 -----7---9------
4 -----7-----10--
5 -----------------
6 -----------------

Which is the center of the next pentatonic scale form

1 -------8----10--
2 -------8----10--
3 -----7----9------
4 -----7------10--
5 -----7------10--
6 -------8----10--

Which is one of those harde scale form (for me at least).


   
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(@call_me_kido)
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step 1:

pentatonic, major, minor

step 2:

blues (3 of them at least), harmonic and melodic minor

step 3:

start practicing chromatics for finger strength and stuff
This would work if you could learn every mode and all their fingerings in one sitting....breaking this down would be appropriate.

I agree with the concept that pentatonics are a good way to begin, because they are easy, but dont you think that it would be smart to learn where the pentatonics come from ? The major scale may be constructed of more notes but this is one of those cases in life where derivitives are more important then construction. The major scale came first, the pentatonic excludes notes from it, not the other way around.

If you learn the Ionian fingerings first just show him how to "count" intervals or at least scale tone degrees. If you are going to try to teach scales without any music theory or concepts then learning the scale degrees is essential to discover where the smaller scales come from.

Pentatonics are simply scales excluding the 4th and the 7th of the ionian major, the blues scale excludes only the 7th. The minor likewise for Aeolian.

If they can count to 7 ( or 8 ) then get them started on the right track, learning about the guitar, not memorizing box patterns, which in the long run will hold them up much longer later.

Its easy for us now to sit down and say, "Well gee, pentatonics are my most useful soloing tool, and I know all those other scales but barely use them."
But I recall sitting down and not being able to play "Ode to Joy" in open C, and everything is a pain anyway.

Dont waste anyones time, be like a real teacher and teach them. You wouldnt hire an instructor who sits down and teaches you pentatonic scales for a quick soloing fix.

Kido


   
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