The guitar is a wonderful instrument. It's exceptionally versatile and can create a large variety of sounds, especially when combined with the effects pedals that have become so prolific in the modern music world. It's user-friendly design means many individuals can easily pick it up and learn to play the basics, but deep down, it's a very difficult instrument to master and requires years of dedication and perseverance. While many of the aspects of a guitar are unique, it obviously shares much of the musical theory behind every instrument. One such theory knowledge is the musical scale. Let's look at how to play guitar scales.
Learn And Practice
Scales are frameworks for the musician to use. They inform him or her of the notes that fit within their current musical key. The key is the pitch that the current music is being played in, though it usually changes frequently within a song. An example would be if a bassist was playing an A chord or note for an entire measure, then it's likely that the key would be A.
The scale can always be put in whatever key is necessary and it will provide the musician with what notes are 'right' for that key. By learning the scale, it's possible to improvise throughout a song without thinking about whether you're hitting the right notes or not, since they'll all be within the key. It's an excellent way to learn how to solo as well, which many new guitarists aspire to.
Some scales are more popular than others, especially with some music being very prolific, such as the Blues. In this case, pentatonic scales are amongst the most used, especially in solos. Furthermore, pentatonic scales often serve as the basis for many other scales, such as jazz scales and other minor scales. It's not a comprehensive scale, but by learning it, you open yourself up to dozens of other options.
The first thing you need to do is find the scale you want to learn. Whether it's online on the Internet or in a book next to you, it doesn't matter. Just make sure it's on hand so you can easily refer to it. Start by playing each note of the scale over and over, until you know where they are. It's sometimes easier to split the scale up into several pieces. The pentatonic, for example, can be split into four sections, which then repeat from the 12th fret and onwards.
The second part of the learning process is teaching your muscles where to go. Repetition is key here; simply go over the note sections over and over until you can do it with some speed and accuracy. Improvisation is also a good learning technique, as you teach your hands to jump to different notes, not necessarily in an orthodox order. By teaching your hand and fingers foreign movements, they'll eventually become natural and you'll no longer need to think about what you're doing and simply do it.
Learn And Practice
Scales are frameworks for the musician to use. They inform him or her of the notes that fit within their current musical key. The key is the pitch that the current music is being played in, though it usually changes frequently within a song. An example would be if a bassist was playing an A chord or note for an entire measure, then it's likely that the key would be A.
The scale can always be put in whatever key is necessary and it will provide the musician with what notes are 'right' for that key. By learning the scale, it's possible to improvise throughout a song without thinking about whether you're hitting the right notes or not, since they'll all be within the key. It's an excellent way to learn how to solo as well, which many new guitarists aspire to.
Some scales are more popular than others, especially with some music being very prolific, such as the Blues. In this case, pentatonic scales are amongst the most used, especially in solos. Furthermore, pentatonic scales often serve as the basis for many other scales, such as jazz scales and other minor scales. It's not a comprehensive scale, but by learning it, you open yourself up to dozens of other options.
The first thing you need to do is find the scale you want to learn. Whether it's online on the Internet or in a book next to you, it doesn't matter. Just make sure it's on hand so you can easily refer to it. Start by playing each note of the scale over and over, until you know where they are. It's sometimes easier to split the scale up into several pieces. The pentatonic, for example, can be split into four sections, which then repeat from the 12th fret and onwards.
The second part of the learning process is teaching your muscles where to go. Repetition is key here; simply go over the note sections over and over until you can do it with some speed and accuracy. Improvisation is also a good learning technique, as you teach your hands to jump to different notes, not necessarily in an orthodox order. By teaching your hand and fingers foreign movements, they'll eventually become natural and you'll no longer need to think about what you're doing and simply do it.
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For the best advice on playing guitar scales, visit How To Play Guitar Scales for all you need to know.
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