It’s the notes that are available to be played in a specific key:
For example: in C major the notes are C,D,E,F,G,A,B and C
the notes are arranged in a specific order from lowest note to the highest
The intervals between notes in any major scale are (using Cmajor as an example again)
C to D whole step
D to E whole step
E to F half step
F to G whole step
G to A whole step
A to B whole step
B to C half step
I am a music education major and the best way to practice scales is once you have the pattern down well after practicing it for a few weeks, watch TV sit on the couch and just finger through the scales. I did that and it was like i wasn’t even practicing but within weeks it helped my muscle memory.
You can be as good as you want to be, dont let anyone tell you any different. If you want to be an amazing guitarist, practice EVERYDAY for as long as you can, and practice well(scales, patterns, chords, songs). Keep it fresh
I already have beat the hell out of major, minor, pentatonic, and pentatonic blues. I need a new scale to play around with. Guitar veterans can you help me out on this one?
Killer arpeggios or arpeggio progressions are also welcome.
Let’s say I am having a guitar blues jam with my friends. I am playing in the key of A using the I, IV, I, V, IV, I chord progression. That includes the chords in this order: A, D, A, E, D, A. My friend is playing the A-minor pentatonic scale (starting on the fifth fret) over these chords. What is another scale that he can slide down (or up) to and use? Why? I’m trying to understand music theory. Thanks for the help.
Well using that minor pentatonic over a major blues is a pretty cool sound, especially if you bend that 3rd a little bit so it’s right in between the minor and major third.
You could, of course, use D minor and E minor pentatonics over the other chords. You could also use the major pentatonic scale. Dorian and Mixolydian would also sound quite nice.
You can use those scales because they have all the chord tones in them. Even though Dorian and the minor pentatonics have a minor 3rd instead of the major 3rd like in the chords, they have a nice sound. It’s just a blues thing. It sounds really bad and out of place in other styles.
I’ve been learning the guitar for the past 6 months and people keep telling me i need to learn chords and scales. Well i know a handfull of chords and i know 2 scales, thus far, but i just don’t know how to use a scale. Can someone help me out?
Scales can be used to help you determine what chords “work together” when playing rhythm. You can also use scales in playing lead.
If you use the G major scale. which is:
G – A – B – C – D – E – F# – G
and by knowing that in a major scale your chords progressions are:
Major – Minor – Minor – Major – Major – Minor – Diminished – Major
Meaning, if you played G major, C major , A minor, D major chords in a song, they would sound good together since the chords belong to the same scale. This would work on all keys in the Major scale.
To learn more about how chords and scales work, check out
You can also use the same scale to play lead. If a song is being played in the key of G, you can play lead guitar by stumming just the notes in the G scale. With this, you’ll need to learn the scale pattern all across the neck. If you want to play lead using the Major scale, just learn the Major scale pattern all across the neck, making sure you place the scale in the correct position. This site should help:
I was wondering if there is any software that can find guitar scales based on the notes you specify. This way if i get the notes of songs by ear I could find the scale the song is being played on
An additional question to this question. Is every note played with in a song always inside a school or are there sometimes notes added in music that aren’t with in the scale
Im basically looking for an easy guitar scale to kind of just up and down in in drop B. I don’t really know where to start?
I want to start soloing in drop B, and Im a bit lost as to how to stay in the right key etc.. Anyone know of any scales (Equivalent to the simplicity of the pentatonic blues scale in standard tuning) But for drop B?
If you don’t know where to start (your own words) then why are you altering the tuning? And, what do you mean by “Drop B” – B A D G B E? Or are you being really silly and trying to de-tune your guitar by 3 tones?
You really need to lear scales and to solo in standard tuning.
i see people in guitar center shredding metal solos all the time… one guy is playin power chords and the other is playing like there is no tomarrow. i want to be that guy. what scale is good for fast solos up and down the neck?
The minor pentatonics and major pentatonics scales will certainly be the easiest scales to learn. Those scales you’ll literally hear in any genre–rock, blues, country AND jazz (and, yes–that includes sub genres such as metal, delta blues, bluegrass, gypsy jazz, etc.).
Another scales that I like a lot which can be used in metal (and other genres/sub genres) would be harmonic minor. If you’ve ever heard songs by surf rock guitarist Dick Dale, you’ve probably heard the harmonic minor scale being used. Of course, Winger’s Red Beech (look him up, if you haven’t–he’s a great guitarist) has used it and many others.
Remember though–playing fast isn’t all there is to being a good guitarist. Take Yngwie Malmsteen, for instance. It’s impressive, but it all starts to sound the same after a while. Don’t forget to put feelings into your playing like blues guitarists and don’t be afraid to hold a note every once in a while.
This Is My Guitar
http://s242.photobucket.com/albums/ff110/Xavier_Rox15/?action=view¤t=HPIM0087.jpg
Are The Notes Different Just Cause There Stars
Its A Daisy Rock
I’m A Begginer And I Don’t Know The Scale So Can Some1 Give Me A Picture To Where It Shows The Guitar Notes
The stars are just your fret markers, it doesn’t make the notes any different.
http://ezinearticles.com/?Guitar-Major-Scale-Fingering-Patterns&id=732261
That site shows the major scales with fret numbers, see if that helps. Good luck.
what is a guitar scale?
It’s the notes that are available to be played in a specific key:
For example: in C major the notes are C,D,E,F,G,A,B and C
the notes are arranged in a specific order from lowest note to the highest
The intervals between notes in any major scale are (using Cmajor as an example again)
C to D whole step
D to E whole step
E to F half step
F to G whole step
G to A whole step
A to B whole step
B to C half step
I love to play guitar alot and do many scales but i just want to know how long i should spend on a scale one at a time.
I am a music education major and the best way to practice scales is once you have the pattern down well after practicing it for a few weeks, watch TV sit on the couch and just finger through the scales. I did that and it was like i wasn’t even practicing but within weeks it helped my muscle memory.
You can be as good as you want to be, dont let anyone tell you any different. If you want to be an amazing guitarist, practice EVERYDAY for as long as you can, and practice well(scales, patterns, chords, songs). Keep it fresh
I already have beat the hell out of major, minor, pentatonic, and pentatonic blues. I need a new scale to play around with. Guitar veterans can you help me out on this one?
Killer arpeggios or arpeggio progressions are also welcome.
I suggest you actually learn something about music instead of just memorizing a bunch of fingerings and aimlessly noodling.
Get yourself a good teacher.
Let’s say I am having a guitar blues jam with my friends. I am playing in the key of A using the I, IV, I, V, IV, I chord progression. That includes the chords in this order: A, D, A, E, D, A. My friend is playing the A-minor pentatonic scale (starting on the fifth fret) over these chords. What is another scale that he can slide down (or up) to and use? Why? I’m trying to understand music theory. Thanks for the help.
So you’re playing an A major blues?
Well using that minor pentatonic over a major blues is a pretty cool sound, especially if you bend that 3rd a little bit so it’s right in between the minor and major third.
You could, of course, use D minor and E minor pentatonics over the other chords. You could also use the major pentatonic scale. Dorian and Mixolydian would also sound quite nice.
You can use those scales because they have all the chord tones in them. Even though Dorian and the minor pentatonics have a minor 3rd instead of the major 3rd like in the chords, they have a nice sound. It’s just a blues thing. It sounds really bad and out of place in other styles.
I’ve been learning the guitar for the past 6 months and people keep telling me i need to learn chords and scales. Well i know a handfull of chords and i know 2 scales, thus far, but i just don’t know how to use a scale. Can someone help me out?
Scales can be used to help you determine what chords “work together” when playing rhythm. You can also use scales in playing lead.
If you use the G major scale. which is:
G – A – B – C – D – E – F# – G
and by knowing that in a major scale your chords progressions are:
Major – Minor – Minor – Major – Major – Minor – Diminished – Major
Meaning, if you played G major, C major , A minor, D major chords in a song, they would sound good together since the chords belong to the same scale. This would work on all keys in the Major scale.
To learn more about how chords and scales work, check out
http://www.zentao.com/guitar/theory/chord-scale.html
http://www.howmusicworks.org/hmw604.asp
You can also use the same scale to play lead. If a song is being played in the key of G, you can play lead guitar by stumming just the notes in the G scale. With this, you’ll need to learn the scale pattern all across the neck. If you want to play lead using the Major scale, just learn the Major scale pattern all across the neck, making sure you place the scale in the correct position. This site should help:
http://www.theguitarsuite.com/majorscale.html
Note: you can move any scale up and down the neck. It would be best to start with the root note when doing your lead playing.
It has the following notes: C, D, E-flat, F, G, A-flat, B-flat, C. What this scale called- guitar scale.
The first note is not always the scale (or at least the easiest way to describe it).
The scale you wrote out is an Eb major scale. By starting on the C (the 6th), you’re playing it in Mixolydian mode.
You could also consider the scale an F minor dominate 7th.
Greetings from Austin, TX
Ken
I was wondering if there is any software that can find guitar scales based on the notes you specify. This way if i get the notes of songs by ear I could find the scale the song is being played on
An additional question to this question. Is every note played with in a song always inside a school or are there sometimes notes added in music that aren’t with in the scale
Do you mean what key it’s in?
I have no idea what your talking about.
Im basically looking for an easy guitar scale to kind of just up and down in in drop B. I don’t really know where to start?
I want to start soloing in drop B, and Im a bit lost as to how to stay in the right key etc.. Anyone know of any scales (Equivalent to the simplicity of the pentatonic blues scale in standard tuning) But for drop B?
If you don’t know where to start (your own words) then why are you altering the tuning? And, what do you mean by “Drop B” – B A D G B E? Or are you being really silly and trying to de-tune your guitar by 3 tones?
You really need to lear scales and to solo in standard tuning.
i see people in guitar center shredding metal solos all the time… one guy is playin power chords and the other is playing like there is no tomarrow. i want to be that guy. what scale is good for fast solos up and down the neck?
The minor pentatonics and major pentatonics scales will certainly be the easiest scales to learn. Those scales you’ll literally hear in any genre–rock, blues, country AND jazz (and, yes–that includes sub genres such as metal, delta blues, bluegrass, gypsy jazz, etc.).
Another scales that I like a lot which can be used in metal (and other genres/sub genres) would be harmonic minor. If you’ve ever heard songs by surf rock guitarist Dick Dale, you’ve probably heard the harmonic minor scale being used. Of course, Winger’s Red Beech (look him up, if you haven’t–he’s a great guitarist) has used it and many others.
Remember though–playing fast isn’t all there is to being a good guitarist. Take Yngwie Malmsteen, for instance. It’s impressive, but it all starts to sound the same after a while. Don’t forget to put feelings into your playing like blues guitarists and don’t be afraid to hold a note every once in a while.