Acoustic Guitar Scales for Beginners
Your best course of action is to learn the major scales first. I made this process as easy as possible for you by including videos below on how to play all of the major guitar scales.
Do not try and play all of these acoustic guitar scales all at once. Learn the first scale listed below until you can play it all on your own from memory without any mistakes, and then move on to the next. Go very slow at first and make sure you are playing each note correctly by producing a clean sound. While you play each note, either say the name of the note out loud or in your mind. This will help you remember how to play the notes of the guitar.
The C Major Guitar Scale
The notes of the C Major Scale: C D E F G A B C
The D Major Guitar Scale
The notes of the D Major Scale: D E F# G A B C# D
The E Major Guitar Scale
The notes of the E Major Scale: E F# G# A B C# D# E
The F Major Guitar Scale
The notes of the F Major Scale: F G A Bflat C D E F
The G Major Guitar Scale
The notes of the G Major Scale: G A B C D E F# G
The B Major Guitar Scale
The notes of the B Major Scale: B C# D# E F# G# A#
Learn Guitar Quick – The Minor Pentatonic Scale
The minor pentatonic scale is the workhorse of blues and rock music. The minor pentatonic scale is formed by employing the scale degrees 1, 3, 4, 5, and 7 of the natural minor scale. (Click on the link in the resource box below to download and examine your own copy of the minor pentatonic scales). The minor pentatonic gained popularity partially because it is one of the easiest scales to use. This is partially due to the fact that it only has five notes. Of course a lesser number of notes makes the scale easier to learn and remember, but there is another, more basic reason for the scales relative ease of application. With less notes involved, there are less opportunities for tonal clashes.
Let’s take an example: if you solo over a C minor chord, you will find that specific notes “work” or harmonize and others clash or are dissonant, and thus may only be useful as passing tones.
If instead, you solo over a C major chord, you will find a slightly different set of compatible notes.
Now if you simply improvise over a single C note-a C pedal tone, you will find that both sets of notes are compatible with the pedal tone. Certainly, for the solo to be pleasing you will have to be careful with the mixing of the major and minor tonalities in the phrasing. But, the fact remains that you will have more notes on your musical palette initially to work with. This is because, with less notes involved (pedal tone versus a chord) there is less opportunity for harmonic clash.
Such is the case with using a pentatonic scale versus a diatonic scale. The second and sixth scale degrees have been left out. This, once again, means that there are less total notes involved, which leaves less room for potential dissonant combinations.
In addition, chords tend to be stacks of major or minor thirds-often constructed from some form of the root, third, fifth and seventh. So the second and sixth degrees may be thought of as somewhat “less harmonic” than the other scale degrees. You can hear this in the major 6th chords (which add a sixth) and 9th chords. (The 9th chords add the ninth tone-which is an octave above the second). Both the 6th and 9th chords have a harsher, more aggressive sound due to the addition of these two “oddball” scale degrees.
The pentatonic minor scale has occupied a prominent position in modern popular music for the past several decades. It is one of the most-used scales in blues, rock and other popular genres, partially because it is easier than many other scales to use. By leaving out the second and sixth scales degrees, the pentatonic minor scale creates a smaller chance for harmonic clash because a fewer number of notes are involved. In addition, the tones that are omitted are two scale degrees that tend not to harmonize as well as many of the other scale tones.
Robert M. Matthews (better known as Bob Matthews) is currently retired after more than 30 years of engineering and management experience.
As an avid guitar player for more than 35 years, Bob has created a website specifically for guitar players and future guitar players. The site is packed with a wealth of information and articles on guitars, music theory, guitar tips and lessons, as well as many entertaining and instructional videos.
Feel free to visit the site at http://www.Learn-Guitar-Quick.com for great guitar-related information. While there, be sure to claim your FREE PENTATONIC SCALES (and much more) available on the front page in the FREE BONUSES section in the right sidebar.
And… be sure to follow me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/GuitarBobb
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Guitar Scales 22 Fret System
By Mike P Hayes
A major reason why many guitarists never master guitar scales is that they try to learn too many at once. The key is to learn one scale at a time by practicing the guitar scales 22 fret system you will learn to unlock the fingerboard and be free to express yourself over the entire fingerboard.
Good knowledge of the fretboard will enable you to: improvise better, learn songs quicker, learn more chords and Scales, read music. I definitely recommend memorizing or becoming familiar with the fretboard.
Rather than aimlessly practicing guitar scales, you want to become laser focused. What guitar scales you need to learn, in order to play the style of music that you love.
If you are studying with a private teacher make certain that teacher can help you achieve your goals, there’s not much point asking a classical guitar tutor what scales you need to learn for jazz guitar.
To learn and master every possible guitar scale out there would take many lifetimes. It is more intelligent and far less frustrating to select an appropriate scale for your style of music and learn that scale as a 22 fret scale system.
Scales create patterns on the fretboard which players visualize and memorize. The important thing when learning scales is to take the time to learn the names of the notes your are playing under your fingers NOT just the fingering patterns.
The guitar scales 22 fret system can easily be adapted to any guitar no matter how many frets you have. Since most electric guitars have 22 frets the 22 fret scale system is the one I’ll concentrate on here.
The guitar scales 22 fret system an also be applied to acoustic guitar, most acoustic guitars have 12 to 15 frets available, the 22 fret scale system can be modified to suit your favorite acoustic guitar.
The guitar scale 22 fret, three note per string scale system part one:
We will be working entirely in the key of C major.
The key of C major C D E F G A B C
(a) Concept # 1 think of this C major scale as being on an endless loop (like a conveyer belt going round and round) ….. C D E F G A B C D E F G A B C D E F G A B C etc
(b) Now imagine we where able to start at ANY point on this conveyer belt
(c) The concept of the three note per string scale system is very simple, you play three notes from your chosen scale on each string then move to the next string, play three notes and then move to the next string, play another three notes and then on to the next string etc.
Here is your project:
1. Play the following notes on the sixth string:
F note played with your first finger
G note played with either your second or third finger which ever is comfortable
A note played with your fourth finger
2. Play the following notes on the fifth string:
B note played with your first finger
C note played with your second finger
D note played with your fourth finger
3. Play the following notes on the fourth string:
E note played with your first finger
F note played with your second finger
G note played with your fourth finger
4. Play the following notes on the third string:
A note played with your first finger
B note played with your third finger
C note played with your fourth finger
5. Play the following notes on the second string:
D note played with your first finger
E note played with your third finger
F note played with your fourth finger
6. Play the following notes on the first string:
G note played with your first finger
A note played with either your second or third finger which
ever is comfortable
B note played with your fourth finger
Do you understand the concept? Play three notes from the C Major scale on the sixth string (starting from the note “F” within the C major scale)
Play the notes F. G. A on the sixth string, then move to the fifth string and play the next three notes from the C major scale B, C, D.
Don’t worry about the sound of this scale, it is intended to sound incomplete, it’s part of a giant linkage system I will explain to you.
Practicing guitar music scales is one of the key elements to learning the basics of guitar. When you learn the guitar scales 22 fret system you get the total picture. You get to see guitar scales played note for note right over the entire fretboard.
Mike Hayes is a teacher, author, speaker and consultant. Get his tips and tested strategies proven to boost your guitar playing
his membership site at http://www.guitarcoaching.com today.
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The Blues Guitar Scale and How to Master It
If you are new guitar player who wants to make a career or a hobby out of playing blues guitar, then this essay will give you the basic points to get you on your way as a player and interpreter of the blues. Or maybe you have no intention of specializing in blues guitar playing. In that case my essay will give you the bare bones of musical interpretation using the guitar. These basic points can be applied to any genre of guitar music.
So, let us start with a minor pentatonic scale. Whenever you see the word pentatonic you know the scale has just five notes. This is the A minor pentatonic scale starting at the root note – A at the fifth fret of the sixth string:
E———————————5–8—-
B————————–5–8———–
G——————-5–7——————
D————-5–7————————
A——5–7——————————-
E-5-8————————————-
If you are used to playing barre chords, just barre the fifth fret and use the third and fourth fingers to play the notes at the seventh and eighth frets. As the first note in this scale is the root note, all you need to do to play this scale in other keys is to slide your first finger up or down the guitar neck. So now we move the barre up to the eighth fret which gives us the root note C. You will notice that now we have added some extra notes. This is the blues scale in the key of C. The notes we have added to the minor pentatonic give you more opportunity to give your music that “bluesy” feel.
E———————————–8—11
B—————————–8—11——
G——————–8–10–11————
D—————8–10———————
A——-8–9–10————————–
E-8—11———————————-
The minor pentatonic scale can be played in other positions on the fretboard. You need to learn where the notes are because the same note played on a different string sounds different. So the more positions you can play in the more variety you can put into your playing.
A word of warning here. Do not spend all your time learning the scales by heart. Once you can play a scale in one position, play with it. Try bending the notes, see what other notes sound good with the notes in your scale. In other words, give the scale some of your individuality. If you do not feel confident about doing this, then just fall back on imitating what other guitar players do. Do not worry that you are copying other guitarists’ material. Most guitar players start off this way. Using other musicians’ licks as a springboard for your own playing will get your juices flowing and you will be adding your own licks in no time.
Another way to approach learning scales is to learn a melody by ear and try to work out the scale it comes from. This might seem like hard work at first but it is a very pleasant way to learn music. Another thing to remember that blues music has a resolution. Your solos are all travelling to the end of the twelve bars or whatever style of blues you are playing, so any note you play on the way is fine.
Once you have a basic understanding of the blues scale and you can play it in a couple of positions on the guitar fretboard, you will need to look at the question of phrasing. There are so many excellent blues music tracks on record going back over a hundred years all you need to do is listen and imitate. Of course, your imitation does not have to be one hundred percent accurate, but other guitar players blues solos give you ready made starting points for your own original blues playing. One point to remember for beginner blues guitar players is that now you have a
blues scale to play, you do not need to play all of the notes all of the time. If you have a backing track or some music you would like to solo over, start with one or two notes in the scale. Bend them, hammer them on, practice your vibrato, slide into those notes, make them yours.
Do you want to learn to play the guitar? Learn How To Play A Guitar For Free is a constantly updated blog which contains all the resources you need for: learning to play solo guitar, how to learn guitar chords, how to learn to read and play easy acoustic guitar tabs, finding a free online guitar tuner, looking for free guitar lessons online, and how to learn guitar scales.
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Learn Guitar Scales – The 7 Biggest Reasons You Have To Learn Guitar Scales
Guitar Scales Get You Ready For Playing
Playing
guitar scales to warm up before you start playing some real songs works really well. They are a great way to switch your brain into a sort of guitar playing mode and get your fingers stretched and ready.
Guitar Scales Are Exercise For The Fingers
If you imagine guitar playing as a sport then playing scales is like going to the gym. Playing guitar scales is a great ‘exercise’ for both strengthening and conditioning your fingers for playing and for getting your brain used to musical patterns and sounds. To be in top playing condition you really need to play scales regularly to keep your fingers in peak performance shape.
Playing Scales Helps Your Strumming Hand Too
Try playing alternate picking when you are going through your scales. Practicing scales while concentrating on your strumming hand can dramatically improve you picking and strumming abilities.
Learning Guitar Scales Helps You Memorize the Fret board Layout
When you learn scales you are concentrating so much on remembering the notes of the scales and what you should play next that sometimes you don’t even realize that you have learned the position of every note on the fretboard.Learning guitar scales is the single greatest way to ‘download’ the fretboard layout into your brain.
Learning Guitar Scales Will Help You Learning Guitar Chords
Guitar scales are the basis for guitar chords so it goes without saying that the more knowledge you have of scales the more you will be able to manipulate the guitar to make it do everything you want
Learning Guitar Scales Will Give You Amazing Pitch Recognition
Every time you learn a guitar scales both the individual notes and the note combinations get imprinted on your brain. If you learn enough scales you will learn the pitches whether you want to or not.
Learning Guitar Scales Makes You Play Faster and Cleaner
Every time you learn a new guitar scale you finger will move just a little bit faster and more fluidly over the entire fretboard. When you master the most important scales it feels like your fingers almost glide over the strings.
Check out our 3 FREE Learn Guitar Course on Learning Guitar Chords ($27), learning guitar scales ($27) and learning guitar tab ($17) at learn acoustic guitar

