Learning Scales: the key to learning guitar notes & chords
This lesson is a simple approach to learning how to play the basic scales. The next lesson how to read guitar tabs will teach how to play scales by reading guitar tabs.
You have purchased a guitar and are now ready to play. Scales are a basic exercise that will improve guitarists ability to maneuver their fingers more efficiently across the frets. This lesson will teach you what a scale is and how they are formed. If you have your guitar with you just play along as you read. However, if you don’t have your guitar, then imagine your fingers going through the guitar scales in your head.
What is a Guitar Scale?
A guitar scale is a step by step series of tones going higher in pitch. On your guitar this means that when you put your finger on the sixth string at the first fret and play, you have played an F. When you move up to the next fret and play there you are playing an F# which is only a half step from the F. When you move up to the next fret (which is going to be the third fret) you would be playing a G which is a whole step above the F.
Whole Steps and Half Steps
Each scale is made up of notes that are half and whole steps apart. Each scale begins with two whole steps, a half step, three whole steps, and ends with a half step.
The F scale has these notes in it: F, G, A, Bb, C, D, E, and F. The lowercase "b" signifies a flat. There is a whole step between F, G and A. However, between A and Bb there is only a half step. There is also a whole step between Bb and C and C and D and D and E, but between E and F is only a half step. All scales follow this pattern. Below you can see the music staff with the F scale notes on it:
Play the F Scale
Let’s say you want to learn the F scale. You would start with F on the first fret on the sixth string. The next note would be G, which is a whole step from F and played on the third fret on the sixth string. Next is the note A which is on the fifth string open, which is another wholestep. The next note in the scale of F is a half step from A which is a Bb and is played on the sixth fret. NOTE: Now that you have read this far ask yourself, "Did I understand what I just read". If not, re-read the article, get out your guitar and follow along.
Practicing Guitar Scales
Guitar teachers often encourage their students to play through the C scale before doing anything else. This practicing of the C scale should be done daily. The C scale is the following notes: C, D, E, F, G, A, B, and C. Below is the C scale on a music staff:
Play the above scale as a warm-up exercise for songs in the key of C. You now know what scales are and you're on your way to a good knowledge of music theory. Are you ready for the next guitar lesson which is on reading tabs?