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GUITAR SCALES FOR BEGINNERS
Hopefully this will cover a lot more then just scales, but also different ways to view and think about scales, and new ways to use scales.
So let's begin by talking about how to play a scale. When I first started out, understanding how to play a scale was one of my biggest hurdles. For some reason, I got scales and chords confused with one another.
When you play chords, the lowest note played in the chord gives the chord its name. But in scales, the root note is often not the lowest or highest note you play. So when you play a scale, the root note will often fall between other notes.
So let us begin with what to most people is the first scale they learn, the Minor Pentatonic, in Key of A.
MINOR PENTATONIC SCALE
key of A
E_____________________________________________(5)__8___
B_____________________________________5___8____________
G___________________________5___7____________________
D___________________5___(7)______________________________
A___________5___7______________________________________
E___(5)__8_____________________________________________
This is in the key of A, but scales are moveable, so if we move this entire shape to the 3rd fret, we now would have the minor Pentatonic in the key of G, and if we moved the entire shape up to the 8th fret, we would have the minor pentatonic in the key of C. So on your first 12 frets, you can now play this scale in 12 keys, then it all begins again at the 12th fret, one octave higher.
Here are a few other keys you could play this shape in;
MINOR PENTATONIC SCALE
key of G
E_______________________________________________(3)___6___
B_______________________________________3___6_____________
G_______________________________3___5_____________________
D_____________________3___(5)_____________________________
A_____________3___5_______________________________________
E___(3)___6_______________________________________________
MINOR PENTATONIC SCALE
key of D
E_________________________________________________(10)__13__
B_________________________________________10__13____________
G_________________________________10__12____________________
D_______________________10__(12)____________________________
A______________10___12_______________________________________
E____(10)__13________________________________________________
MINOR PENTATONIC SCALE
key of E
E__________________________________________________(12)__15__
B__________________________________________12__15____________
G_________________________________12__14_____________________
D_______________________12__(14)_____________________________
A_______________12__14_______________________________________
E____(12)__15________________________________________________
MINOR PENTATONIC SCALE
key of A
E________________________________________________(17)__20__
B________________________________________17__20____________
G________________________________17__19____________________
D______________________17__(19)____________________________
A______________17__19______________________________________
E____(17)__20______________________________________________
So there is a few of the keys available with that scale shape. Hopefully you noticed that the intervals, or spaces between notes in all of the different keys I used above were exactly the same. The interval or space between notes are measured in half and whole steps. So think of each half step as the distance of one fret, and each whole step as the distance of two frets.
HALF STEP = one fret
WHOLE STEP = two frets
This knowledge will come in handy down the road as you get better at playing. So looking at the low E (thick string) the distance between the G note at the 3rd fret and the A note at the 5th fret is a whole step. To go from a G note at the 3rd fret to a G sharp at the 4th fret, that would be a half step.
So let's continue with scales, this time looking at the minor pentatonic Blues scale, and again, it's moveable.
MINOR PENTATONIC BLUES SCALE
key of A
E________________________________________________________(5)___8___
B________________________________________________5___8_____________
G____________________________________5___7___8_____________________
D__________________________5___(7)_________________________________
A______________5___6___7___________________________________________
E____(5)___8_______________________________________________________
If you haven't noticed, the minor pentatonice scale is just like the minor pentatonic scale, the only difference is we have added the Blue note to the Blues scale, in this case it's an E flat. Now lets look at some other keys for this shape.
MINOR PENTATONIC BLUES SCALE
key of G
E___________________________________________(3)__6__
B_____________________________________3__6__________
G____________________________3__5__6________________
D____________________3__(5)_________________________
A___________3__4__5_________________________________
E___(3)__6__________________________________________
MINOR PENTATONIC BLUES SCALE
key of C
E___________________________________________________(8)__11__
B___________________________________________8__11____________
G________________________________8__10__11___________________
D_______________________8__(10)______________________________
A_____________8__9__10________________________________________
E____(8)__11_________________________________________________
MINOR PENTATONIC BLUES SCALE
key of D
E________________________________________________________(10)__13__
B________________________________________________10__13____________
G____________________________________10__12__13_____________________
D__________________________10__(12)_________________________________
A____________10__11__12_____________________________________________
E__(10)__13_________________________________________________________
MINOR PENTATONIC BLUES SCALE
key of G
E______________________________________________________(15)__18__
B______________________________________________15__18____________
G__________________________________15__17__18____________________
D________________________15__(17)________________________________
A____________15__16__17__________________________________________
E__(15)__18______________________________________________________
Using these scales to come up with your own licks is where the createivity comes in. Experiment and see what you can come up with. Now when you do put together licks, it is good to start off with the root note and end with the root note, maybe in a different place on the fretboard. Below is an example of a little riff using the Minor Pentatonic Blues scale in key of G. That makes G our root note. (G)
E___/(15)____________________________________________
B____________18____15________________________________
G_________________________17____15___________________
D______________________________________(17)^^^^^^^^^^
A____________________________________________________
E____________________________________________________
( ) = root note
^^^^^ = vibrato
/ = slide
Notice we start off with a classic blues slide. You see these all over the place in Blues music. In this case, no note is given where to begin the slide from, it is up to you to decide where to begin. Alot of times, these types of slides will usually begin one or two frets away from the targeted note.
So now let's take a look at the Major scale, again, it's also a moveable scale.
MAJOR SCALE
key of G
E__________________________________________________2__(3)__
B____________________________________________3__5__________
G___________________________________2__4__5________________
D________________________2__4__(5)_________________________
A_______________2__3__5____________________________________
E____(3)__4__5_____________________________________________
MAJOR SCALE
key of A
E_______________________________________________4__(5)__
B_________________________________________5__7__________
G________________________________4__6__7________________
D_____________________4__6__(7)_________________________
A____________4__5__7____________________________________
E____(5)__7_____________________________________________
Now if I was going to use this scale to put a little riff together ON THE GUITAR,, it would probably sound better to the ear if I was to begin and end my riff on the root note. Such as;
E___________________________________________
B___________________________________________
G___________________________________________
D____________4_________6_____________(7)____
A___________________________4_______________
E____(5)__________7_________________________
By beginning a riff and ending the riff on the root note, people listening will recognize it as being in the key of A. You don't have to do that, it just sounds better When playing your guitar.. I will spare you theory for the most part, saving that for the end.
MAJOR SCALE
key of D
E______________________________________________________9__(10)__
B______________________________________________10__12___________
G___________________________________9__11__12___________________
D______________________9__11__(12)______________________________
A___________9__10__12___________________________________________
E__(10__12______________________________________________________
MAJOR SCALE
key of A
E__________________________________________________________16__(17)__
B__________________________________________________17__19____________
G______________________________________16__18__19____________________
D________________________16__18__(19)________________________________
A____________16__17__19______________________________________________
E__(17)__19__________________________________________________________
By now, you should be getting the hang of moving scales around the neck of the guitar. Once you have learned the pattern, or interval between notes, you simply move the entire pattern up or down the fretboard of the guitar so that the root note falls where you want the key to be that you will be playing. If I wanted this to be an F major, I would simply move the pattern so the scale began on the first fret, where the F note is found.
NATURAL MINOR (aeolion)
key of A
E________________________________________________(5)__7__8__
B_______________________________________5__6__8_____________
G______________________________4__5__7______________________
D______________________5__(7)_______________________________
A_____________5__7__8_______________________________________
E__(5)__7__8________________________________________________
Where the Major scale is a happy sounding scale, the natural minor is a sad sounding scale. Blues players refer to it as the gritty blues scale. It is also used for rock and dark metal.
NATURAL MINOR (aeolion)
key of D
E_____________________________________________________________(10)__12__13__
B_________________________________________________10__11__13______
G______________________________________9__10__12__________________
D____________________________10__(12)_____________________________
A________________10__12__13_______________________________________
E__(10)__12__13___________________________________________________
NATURAL MINOR (aeolion)
key of E
E______________________________________________________________(12)__14__15__
B__________________________________________________12__13__15_____
G______________________________________11__12__14__________________
D____________________________12__(14)_______________________________
A________________12__14__15_________________________________________
E__(12)__14__15_____________________________________________________
Again, this is a moveable shape, simple line up the root note with the key you want to play in,
HUNGARIAN (gypsy)
key of G
E_____________________________________________2/(3)__5__6__
B____________________________________2__3__4_______________
G______________________________2__3________________________
D______________________4__(5)______________________________
A_____________4__5__6______________________________________
E__(3)__5__6________________________________________________
HUNGARIAN (gypsy)
key of A
E_____________________________________________4/(5)__7__8__
B____________________________________4__5__6_______________
G______________________________4__5________________________
D______________________6__(7)_______________________________
A_____________6__7__8______________________________________
E__(5)__7__8_______________________________________________
ORIENTAL SCALE
key of C
E________________________________
B___________________________(1)__
G_____________________2__3_______
D____________2__3__4_____________
A____(3)__4______________________
E________________________________
ORIENTAL SCALE
key of D
E________________________________
B___________________________(3)__
G_____________________4__5_______
D____________4__5__6_____________
A____(5)__6______________________
E________________________________
BLUES SCALE - THE ART OF SHIFTING
When you think of it, it really is an art, shifting from one position on the neck to another position, all the time staying within the same key. The first question is, why shift at all? I already know my box positions.
While it is good to know your box positions, once you learn how to shift positions, staying in the same key, it will open up much more of the fretboard to you, thus allowing you to be much more creative in your playing.
Here is a perfect example of what I mean by shifting, its the Blue scale, in key of A.
Key of A_____________________shift_______________shift_
E____________________________10__8_________________
B___________________________________10__8__________
G_____________________________________________9/7__
D________________5__7/10____________________________
A__________5__7_____________________________________
E____5__8___________________________________________
We stay in the key of A, but we are moving or shifting, using the same notes but in different places on the fretboard. We end up with a much more richer tone then if we simply stayed with one box position.
Now let's look at a simple single shift in the key of G.
Key of G__________________________shift_______
E_____________________________________________
B_______________________________________6__8__
G_________________________3____5__6__7________
D___________________3__5______________________
A__________3__4__5____________________________
E____3__6____________________________
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