Scales

[MarkyMark]

Can anyone tell me about where to go to start learning scales? I really appreciate it if someone will tell me. Thanks

[Alan Desmond]

There's many scales. Johnathan introduces the Ionean major scales first. I will attach a pic I keep handy of some others mentioned in the course.

But you will find the 5 note pentatonic scale very useful, there's a major & minor version. Suggest you use google. Then look for a clip called house of blues to try playing it, get u going.

Fellow member Fred posted individual pattern sheet recently but I like to play & mix betwéen the patterns myself.

Attached is Am you can play mix across the patterns. If you want to play in key of Gm, Bm, Cm etc just move to that root start note and play from there.

Hope this is useful to you. The modes unit explains the other scales, take a look some time, 

[Alan Desmond]

There's many scales. Johnathan introduces the Ionean major scales first. I will attach a pic I keep handy of some others mentioned in the course.

But you will find the 5 note pentatonic scale very useful, there's a major & minor version. Suggest you use google. Then look for a clip called house of blues to try playing it, get u going.

Fellow member Fred posted individual pattern sheet recently but I like to play & mix betwéen the patterns myself.

Attached is Am you can play mix across the patterns. If you want to play in key of Gm, Bm, Cm etc just move to that root start note and play from there.

Hope this is useful to you. The modes unit explains the other scales, take a look some time, 

[Alan Desmond]

Hi MarkeyMike.

You mentioned scales in your post. Here is a selection of popular scales. My guess is there's many other more obscure ones. Think many like me do is primarily play pentatonic & major (1) and either (2 or 6) for minor. Othèrs as you feel like it (see modes). There's no rules a matter of your choice.

Hope this sheet I'm sending attaches.

 

[MarkyMark]

Hi Alan thanks for the help and the diagrams. Hey I’m probably confused with the whole scale thing. The patterns that you sent me I already knew and I know there are hundreds of other scales but I want to start off with the Major Scale first. I have a couple of questions… How Many Scales are in the Major Scale and are they all the same pattern Like A major, G major, C major etc. I see a whole bunch of guitarist playing different major scales with different patterns on the Major Scale. I would appreciate your help. Thanks

[Geof Gibson]

Let's clarify a couple of things.  There is one, and only one, Major scale.  That is, in C, C D E F G A B.  It is a whole step, followed by a whole step, then a half step (E-F), followed by three whole steps, and then one final half step gets you back to the root (B-C).  In Western music there are technically 12 Major scales, but they all follow the same pattern.  There's A, Bb (A#), B, C, Db, etc. up to G#(Ab).  All the same pattern of whole and half steps.

Now, you say "I see a whole bunch of guitarist playing different major scales with different patterns on the Major Scale."  They may be playing different patterns on the neck, but if it is a major scale, it is all the same.

It is possible you are overthinking this.  This often happens because it seems like there's all these scales to learn, but really, if you learn the one major scale, almost everything derives directly or with small modifications from that major scale.

Does that help?

[MarkyMark]

Thanks Geof for the info. Hey I have another question which scale should I learn first? Or which scale should  beginners learn first…The Major scale or the Pentatonic scale? 

[Geof Gibson]

A somewhat controversial subject.

Most players learn minor pentatonic first.  5 notes instead of 7 and used extensively for the blues so it always made sense.

Learning the major scale first has advantages as the minor pentatonic is included and understanding the shape and pattern of the major allows you to play nearly anything.

So I would say if you are really into blues and blues based rock then go for minor pentatonic but keep pushing and don't just settle in with that... unless you can play everything you want with it, then by all means!

If you are into jazz or more sophisticated pop then learn major first.  I would then quickly start showing you how you can use that to play anything, including blues.