There has to be a reason to learn guitar scales. If all you want to do is strum along behind some folk song, then you can skip the scales. But, if you have any desire to really play the guitar then you need scales. You need them for the long term, not just as some sort of rite of passage. Scales rock and they also jazz, swing and samba.
Scales are the universal language of music. It makes no difference if the music is classical, pop, rock, grunge or whatever. There is a scale involved. These sets of notes are the same for almost all instruments. When you see a jam session where everyone is somehow magically in the groove, they know scales.
Knowing scales really well is basic to earning your chops. Earning your chops means you have arrived. The sooner you get those scales into your fingers and your head, the sooner you will be in demand. Short, daily sessions are pretty much the only way to get really good with scales. Long intermittent practice will only get you frustrated. Ask any really good musician. It is too easy to lose focus after about ten or fifteen minutes.
It is possible that Carnegie Hall is not your ultimate goal, but getting every possible note that can be played on a guitar into your fingers, probably is. This kind of practice, short and focused will give you flexibility and control of your instrument. This kind of practice is also a long term project. Really great musicians never give up scales. The sessions are short and the payoff is huge.
One way to keep your steps short and consistent is to begin all practices with which ever scale you are working on. Perhaps play each note slowly listening to the tone. Do it again for accurate fingering.
Therefore, make a plan. You could practice a scale in this order. Begin with playing each note separately and listening to the tone. Then play the whole scale making sure you are being accurate. Then play it very slowly using very relaxed fingers. This is much harder than it sounds.
What you will probably discover if you use the steps suggested is that you are out of time before you finish. Stop anyway. That is right. Just get on to whatever piece or song you are working on. It will take months or years to learn every one of these collections of notes before you have them right where you can find them. Longer session really will not help hasten that time.
Remember, the reason you are spending your precious time to learn guitar scales is reach that place where music flows from your fingers with ease. The guitarist that has the range of flexibility that knowing those scales provides is always in demand. And you can be that guitarist. It just takes a little time, every day.
Scales are the universal language of music. It makes no difference if the music is classical, pop, rock, grunge or whatever. There is a scale involved. These sets of notes are the same for almost all instruments. When you see a jam session where everyone is somehow magically in the groove, they know scales.
Knowing scales really well is basic to earning your chops. Earning your chops means you have arrived. The sooner you get those scales into your fingers and your head, the sooner you will be in demand. Short, daily sessions are pretty much the only way to get really good with scales. Long intermittent practice will only get you frustrated. Ask any really good musician. It is too easy to lose focus after about ten or fifteen minutes.
It is possible that Carnegie Hall is not your ultimate goal, but getting every possible note that can be played on a guitar into your fingers, probably is. This kind of practice, short and focused will give you flexibility and control of your instrument. This kind of practice is also a long term project. Really great musicians never give up scales. The sessions are short and the payoff is huge.
One way to keep your steps short and consistent is to begin all practices with which ever scale you are working on. Perhaps play each note slowly listening to the tone. Do it again for accurate fingering.
Therefore, make a plan. You could practice a scale in this order. Begin with playing each note separately and listening to the tone. Then play the whole scale making sure you are being accurate. Then play it very slowly using very relaxed fingers. This is much harder than it sounds.
What you will probably discover if you use the steps suggested is that you are out of time before you finish. Stop anyway. That is right. Just get on to whatever piece or song you are working on. It will take months or years to learn every one of these collections of notes before you have them right where you can find them. Longer session really will not help hasten that time.
Remember, the reason you are spending your precious time to learn guitar scales is reach that place where music flows from your fingers with ease. The guitarist that has the range of flexibility that knowing those scales provides is always in demand. And you can be that guitarist. It just takes a little time, every day.
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