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Guitar scale fingering. Exercises for playing the A minor scale. Melodic minor scale

Your speed of playing the electric guitar has reached eighty beats per minute. No? Go back to the previous lesson. If so, then go ahead!

What are scales? To simplify very much, a scale can be called a series of sounds located in a strictly defined sequence of semitones, tones, and sometimes large intervals. Scales in the context of fingering thinking are discussed in great detail. In this lesson we will use them as another type of exercise. What are the benefits of scales? Firstly, they contain both external and internal strokes. Secondly, scale boxes cover all six strings. Third, they are usually looped, which makes it possible to play one scale for a long time.

Gamma exists great amount. But we won’t need all of them, since this lesson is aimed at developing speed, not musical thinking. I will give only a few of those that you can use in your songs, leaving behind melodic modes, harmonic minor, major pentatonic scale, blues scale and many others.

But first of all, I would like to talk a little about how to play them and what the fingerings that you see below are. I received a lot of questions on this topic and realized that most beginners have a very poor understanding of what scales are in principle. So, horizontal rulers are strings, as you understand, vertical ones are frets. The circles represent the notes that should be played. Under no circumstances should you mistake the scale for a chord and try to play all the notes at the same time. Start playing from the bottom left corner from left to right (i.e. from the thickest string, from the place where the frets are wider). Then work your way up to the higher strings, ending up playing the scale in the upper right corner. Then you can return to the original note in exactly the opposite sequence. If everything is still unclear, at the end of the lesson you can download Guitar Pro tablature of all scales that you will find here. But remember that these fingerings can be easily moved along the fingerboard and the scale will not change, only its tonality will change. Also, do not forget that all scales must be played with an VARIABLE STROKE. Down-up-down-up! And don’t forget about the other rules discussed in previous lessons!

MINOR PENTATONIC

You are already familiar with the minor pentatonic scale from the previous lesson. Here I will show five boxes of this range in different positions. if you look closely, you will notice that they can be put together like pieces of a mosaic. Ultimately, this is what you should see when looking at the neck of a guitar - the notes included in a specific scale, its tonic on various strings and frets, the versatility of how you can play any passage that can come to your mind. You'll have to work on these boxes... all your life. No more no less. Well, or at least as long as you're going to play guitar.

Never limit yourself to playing in one position. Have you ever seen Zakk Wylde play an entire solo without moving his hand along the fretboard? Me neither:)

DIATONIC MODES

Further more! Below are five boxes of diatonic seven-step scales. First - Mixolydian major, often used by John Petrucci in his progressive themes. Next comes minor scale (Aeolian minor). Among rock and metal solos, she rightfully takes second place. Feel its gloomy, medieval atmosphere.

In the third picture - Locrian mode. If you play it from the second stage, it will turn out Ionian (natural major) major. Do you want to write something uplifting and fun? Perhaps epic or pathetic? Then use it. Try to play according to the rule of one finger - one fret (in the case of natural major boxing this is not difficult). On the fourth box you see Dorian minor- another favorite of old-school rock guitarists. And finally, the fifth box shows Phrygian minor, differing from the usual one by only one step - the second lowered, but what an atmosphere it gives to it! Having played it from this very second stage, we get Lydianmajor. You could hear this scale in the works of Joe Satriani.

Once again I will list the scales and the method of obtaining them based on the natural major scale. So!

1. The Ionian major is built on the first degree of the natural and, accordingly, is identical to it.

2. The Dorian minor is built on the second degree of the natural major.

3. Phrygian minor - at the third degree of natural.

4. Lydian major - on the fourth.

5. Mixolydian major - on the fifth.

6. Aeolian (natural minor) - on the sixth

7. The Locrian mode is built on the seventh degree of natural major.

Here it is, a fingering grid on which you can see all the scales at the same time. The black dot represents the tonic of the Ionian major. Take a closer look and visually find the boxes above.

In the above figure, the four degrees of the Ionian major are labeled - seventh, first, third and fourth. The rest, as you understand, are not at all difficult to find. But this is a topic for a completely different section.

Before this, you played all the exercises in sixteenth notes. Four notes for each metronome beat. But you need to learn to play triplets as well. To do this, we will use scales arranged according to the principle of three notes on a string. The first box is the Phrygian minor box, the next is the Lydian major box, then the Mixolydian box, etc. To calculate speed use the following formula. The speed you were going to play at divide by three and multiply by four. You'll get the speed for eighth note triplets. Let's say you were going to play at a speed of 60 UVM. 60:3*4=80 UVM - the required speed for playing triplets. Play three notes for each metronome beat.

As you can see, the first box hits the open strings. Just slide it to the right. I have already said that the scale does not change, only the tonic changes. These last scales “three notes per string” are not in the tabs, I’m sure you understand the principle. And if not, take another look at the existing scales, compare the tabs and drawing, analyze. Development is impossible without this. Not a single manual and not a single teacher will teach you how to play if you don’t learn yourself.

Here, perhaps, it’s time to stop. Turn on the metronome, learn one of the variations of a scale and start practicing. I'm waiting for you in the next lesson after you can play ALL scales at a speed of 100 UVM. Good luck!

Good day, friends! Today we will continue working together over musical theory, and, in Once again, let's expand your musical horizons. Having mastered the minor pentatonic scale and become familiar with the basics of playing phrases on the guitar, you have discovered, not without pleasure, how much your ability to perform and compose music on the guitar has increased. But, sooner or later, every beginning guitarist feels that this is not enough, and even the almost omnipotent pentatonic scale begins to become boring. If you find yourself in a similar situation, don’t hesitate and immediately start learning new scales. recommends starting this long and thorny path with harmonic minor and melodic minor scales on guitar.


There are several reasons for this.

Firstly, they are quite simple and, at the same time, effective in use, secondly, you can easily combine them with the already familiar pentatonic scale, thirdly, they are widely used in rock, jazz and funk, so special You won't have any problems with the examples. In addition, having mastered the proposed material, you will be able to apply with equal success harmonic and melodic minor both when playing guitar solo and when performing guitar riffs.


Harmonic minor on guitar

Each scale, for guitar or any other instrument, consists of seven notes ( eight, if, at the end of the scale, repeat its first note an octave higher), called scale steps. Formula harmonic minor scale has the following form ( the symbol b is flat and means lowered by a semitone, i.e. 1 fret to the side).



As you and I see, the peculiarity harmonic minor are the third and sixth degrees of the scale lowered by a semitone. Let's move on to examples.


Let's take C ( before) major scale, and apply to it the formula of the harmonic minor that is already familiar to us.


C major: C D E F G A B C



Applying the formula harmonic minor, namely, by lowering the third and sixth degrees of our C major scale ( notes E and A) by a semitone, we get harmonic C minor scale.


Harmonic C minor: C D Eb F G Ab B C



This formula is universal and can be applied to any major scale. For example, to A major ( the # symbol is called sharp, and, in contrast to flat, raises the note by a semitone, i.e., by the same one fret).


A major: A B C# D E F# G# A



Harmonic A minor: A B C D E F G# A



Harmonic minor scale very similar to natural minor scale. The only fundamental difference is in the major seventh degree. Because of this, when playing chords such as C7, or a minor seventh chord such as Em7, you will find that some notes of the harmonic minor scale do not sound as they should. Due to the lowered third degree, the same difficulties may arise when playing major chords. This in no way means that you, in principle, cannot play these chords using harmonic minor scale. Be creative!

Melodic minor scale for guitar

Melodic minor scale for guitar actually copies the major one, with the only difference being that it has a lower third degree. The melodic minor formula looks like this:



Without further ado, let's turn to the good old C major scale.


C major: C D E F G A B C



Melodic C minor: C D Eb F G A B C



It should be noted that the proposed formula melodic minor scale It is also universal and applicable to any known tonality. Here, for example, is gamma E.


E major: E F# G# A B C# D# E



Melodic E minor: E F# G A B C# D# E



You can play melodic minor scale on guitar instead of another minor scale or pentatonic scale. When playing a minor sixth chord, such as Em6, or minor/major dominant seventh chords, you will not feel any discomfort. In the same time, melodic minor scale cannot be called “omnivorous”, due to the lowered third degree and the major seventh. By the way, lowering the seventh degree by a semitone, we get the Dorian mode ( gamut).


More often melodic minor used in styles such as jazz and funk. Attractiveness melodic minor scale for jazzmen lies in its similarity to the Dorian scale, which, in turn, plays approximately the same role in jazz as the pentatonic scale in rock music. As for funk, here melodic minor sounds due to its major feel but minor sound.

Descending and ascending melodic minor scale

It goes without saying that, wanting to learn play a melodic minor scale on the guitar, you should be equally proficient in both the descending ( from the first string to the sixth), and ascending ( from the sixth string to the first) its options. In this case, you should know that the descending melodic scale for guitar is identical to the natural scale minor scale (1 2 b3 4 5 b6 b7).


The following example demonstrates alternate execution of ascending and descending melodic minor scale on guitar.



Work on these scales and they will soon become your friends. Try using them where you used to play regular minor scales or pentatonic scales, and let them add variety to the sound of your guitar.

Gamma is a sequence of notes that are included in the key of a piece. IN in this case This is a scale that forms the key of C major, or A minor - since they are parallel to each other. The notes come one after another in a certain sequence.

This material is necessary for every guitarist, since it is on the basis of scales and their fingerings that solo parts are built, and is also based . Thanks to this knowledge, you will be able to build interesting harmonies and chord progressions, and, if necessary, you will clearly understand what rules to break to make the song sound unusual and interesting.

First of all, because this is the basis of the basics. Having learned the fingerings and all the positions of the basic scale with whole notes, you will understand how it is generally integrated, and by analogy you can find other boxes on your own. In addition, you will take your first steps in improvisation and begin to master the art of coming up with solo parts for the guitar.

Brief instructions on how to play scales correctly

  1. Deal with it ,and always play only to it. Take an average pace for yourself and gradually increase it.
  2. In addition, try to do additional exercises also with a metronome - for example, playing syncopations, or triplets, doubles, quartos, and so on.
  3. Try to memorize the fingerings so you don't have to look at the fingerboard while playing.
  4. Having learned how to construct a scale, try, without looking at other fingerings, to construct it anywhere on the fingerboard.

C major scale theoretical part

Like any major scale, it is built according to the principle - tone-tone-semitone-tone-tone-tone-semitone. In this case, the sequence of notes is very simple - C D E F G A B C. That is, you just need to play all the full notes on the guitar and you will get the scale.

Stable steps are the notes of the scale, which, when played simultaneously, give the so-called tonic triad - that is, a chord. This is always the first, third and fifth degree - this rule applies to any key, only the notes change. In the case of C major, these are the notes C, E and G.

In addition, there are also unstable steps that can be removed if necessary - which is what happens, for example, in the major and minor pentatonic scale. In addition, they themselves sound tense, and they need to be resolved - that is, change the note to a stable level. IN such notes are always found in second, fourth, sixth and seventh places.

C major scale for beginners 5 positions

As mentioned above, C major is represented by a sequence of notes Do Re Mi Fa Sol La Si, respectively, in different boxes its fingering will primarily be based on this. Below, in addition to the explanation, will also be presentedtabs in C major, to make it even easier for you to practice playing this scale.

How to play the C major scale

Buy yourself a mechanical one, or use ,and play only to it. This is very important because you will immediately train yourself to play evenly and accurately. In addition, it is very advisable to learn all the positions so that you don’t get lost when improvising and continue to play on any guitar fret. Try to use all your fingers when playing - this will make it much more convenient to perform your parts and not get lost during fast solos.

1 position

The first position rests on the seventh fret. The notes are played sequentially, with numbers indicating the fingers with which to press the frets. The same scheme can be transposed to other keys.

2nd position

We go down three frets - now the tonic is on the tenth. Please note that the scheme has remained virtually unchanged, and in addition, it uses notes from the previous position. This is very important, because by understanding this principle, building scales becomes easier.

3rd position

Now we move on to the first fret. Everything starts from him. This is the most simple circuit in all tonality.

4th position

Moved to the third fret. Notice again that in this diagram, the first notes on each fret are the last notes from the previous box.

5th position

It starts at the fourth fret and ends at the seventh fret - so you go full circle and come back to the first position.

Gamma C-sharp major/Gamma D-flat major – 5 positions

In fact, to master these positions, you just need to move all the boxes listed above one fret down the neck.

1 position

The first position starts at the eighth fret. The boxing is exactly the same as in the C major scale, it’s just that everything is transferred to half a tone.

2nd position

The second box begins at the ninth fret, and completely repeats the pattern of the second position from the C major scale.

3rd position

The third position starts on the first fret, and looks a little different than the C major box. The reason is that all open frets are replaced by the first fret being clamped.

4th position

5th position

The last position in which we return to the eighth fret. In this case, everything starts from the sixth.

Exercises for playing the C major scale

Below are some exercises for practicing the C major scale. Together with detailed description There are also tabs and audio tracks where you can analyze them in more detail. In addition, all these exercises can be transferred to other keys without any problems.

First exercise

It engages frets seven through ten on all strings except the first and second. You should start with the middle finger, since this is the fingering that will be easier for you to work and play. Everything is played in sixteenth notes, so adjust the tempo carefully.

Second exercise

It engages frets seven through ten in exactly the same way. From the very beginning, you can pluck several notes at once, since they are located on the same string. Everything is performed in exactly the same sixteenth notes.

Third exercise

Similar to the previous exercise, the only difference is that all the strings are involved here, as well as the scale is ascending, not descending. In addition, in some places you will need to use a legato technique to ensure a smooth transition between notes.

Fourth exercise

A more complex exercise that asks you to use the strings not in a row, but through one. This will allow your finger to move better and also give your little finger more exercise.

First of all, it is worth repeating once again that you should practice playing scales exclusively with a metronome. Accustom yourself to it from the very beginning of your lessons, and in the future it will be much easier for you to work on music.

In addition, try to practice regularly and practice all the scales and keys on your own. Learn theory, because it will be useful to you in composing. The exercises presented above are not the only ones, and you can find many more to practice legato, scales, as well as speed and playing technique.


In this article we will talk more about scales. You will find out why they are needed and why they are given so much importance.

Introduction

What is gamma? This is a limited sequence of notes, selected from a possible 12, that create the desired coloration for the sound. In other words, gamma for a musician is the same as paint for an artist. An artist chooses the colors he needs to paint a picture, and a musician chooses notes from a scale to create a melody. The best way to describe a particular scale is to give a list of intervals between notes. We use the term "Tone" or "Semitone", which allows you to write the formula using capital letters, T (Tone) and S (Semitone).

Some guitarists use the letters W and H to denote intervals - capitalized from the words "Half" (Half) and "Whole" (Whole). There is also a way to specify the number of semitones (1 or 2). In any case, these three methods are identical and all give us major scale intervals:

  1. T T S T T T S
  2. W W H W W W H
  3. 2 2 1 2 2 2 1

(tone - tone - semitone - tone - tone - tone - semitone)

Let's see how it works. Let's choose a scale - G# major. On initial stage we know two things. First, our root note (or tonic) is G sharp (G#). Secondly, we will use the major scale formula.

So we start with our G sharp note, and add the first step of the formula, which is the T tone. So, starting with G sharp and moving up a tone (or two semitones), we arrive at A sharp (A#).

G# + T = A# (G sharp + Tone = A sharp).

A# + T = C (A sharp + Tone = C).

In the next step, we start with C and check the formula - now we must add a semitone that will take us to C sharp (C#):

C + S = C# (C + Semitone = C sharp).

If we continue in the same spirit, we get the following:
C# + T = D# (C-sharp + Tone = D-sharp),
D# + T = F (D sharp + Tone = F; remember that there is no such note as E sharp),
F + T = G (Fa + Tone = Sol),
G + S = G# (G + Semitone = G sharp).

Thus, we constructed our G sharp major scale, consistent with our major scale formula:
G# A# C C# D# F G (G-sharp, A-sharp, C, C-sharp, D-sharp, F, G).

Most scales contain 7 notes, but this is not an exact rule. As an exception, the minor pentatonic scale contains only five notes (its formula is 3 2 2 3 2 - I use numbers here instead of T and S because it omits the pair Tone and Semitone, which together make 3 half notes and which together can be easily written as 3, instead of something like “T + 1/2″, but these entries mean the same thing). Some scales have more notes, for example the chromatic scale contains all 12 notes.

It is important to note that many guitarists use step notation for the scale formula. For example, for the major scale it looks like this: 1-2-3-4-5-6-7, and for the Lydian mode it looks like this: 1-2-3-4#-5-6-7. The only difference is raised fourth steps. This is used to make it easier to work with the construction of modes, for example, if you know the fingering of the major scale, then you can easily build the Lydian mode just by raising the fourth degree of the major scale by a semitone.

Scales and fingerings

A scale is a group of notes with a certain interval between them - just as I described it above. These intervals determine what fingerings we must use to produce the desired scale.

Major scale fingering:

If you know the fingering of one major scale, you know how to play each major scale on the guitar at its standard system. To play the C Major scale, start your fingering with C on the sixth string. To play the D Major scale, start your fingering with D. And so on.

The same applies to any other scales, if you know the fingering, then immediately start with whatever tonic you need and you will play the scale.

Fingerings were created to use scales in standard tuning. Scales are part music theory because scales are only an idea until they are played and the way we guitarists put a theoretical scale into action is by using fingerings that allow us to hit the notes we want.

I repeat that the fingering I gave you was invented specifically for standard tuning. If you lower the tuning and play the C major scale using this fingering, it will not contain the notes that are included in the C major scale (Do - Re - Mi - Fa - G - A - B).

The scale has not changed - the C major scale still contains the notes Do, Re, Mi, Fa, Sol, A, Si. However, since the guitar is tuned differently, you need to use new fingerings to play the correct notes of the scale - C, D, E, F, G, A, B.

Thus, a scale is a combination of notes, characteristic feature which is the reproduction of a certain character of sound when playing. All the fingerings that you will learn in further articles are just a convenient way to play scales, this is a kind of template for building a scale from the note you need.

In the given fingering there are three notes per string. There can be four notes on a string (although this is difficult to play), two (used in pentatonic scale), or you can even play the entire scale on one string. All this variety of combinations gives us new fingerings.

Gamma and tonality

You learned that tonality is determined by the tonic (the first degree of the scale). Gamma and tonality are very closely related, but scale is not tonality. The name of the key depends on the scale - this is a little misleading.

Key- the tonal center of the melody. The key indicates the chords and notes to which the melody gravitates. You could write a song in which the melody starts on the C major scale and then briefly switches to the A flat major scale, just for one or two bars, before returning to C again.

The fact that we have returned to C helps us see this note as the tonal center or heart of the melody, the basis to which we invariably return. The root is the “key,” and in most cases, we start a melody with a scale that matches the key. In some cases, we will not deviate from a scale that matches the key without changing the key of the music.

A change in tone is called modulation. In this case, we are changing the tonal center of the melody, and will use a new scale (or set of scales) to which it will gravitate. The melody will be constructed in such a way that the new key will become its center, and the old key and its associated scales will remain just history until we reverse modulation.

Thus, key is the anchor for the melody, scale is the tool for creating the melody, and fingering is the tool for bringing scales to life on the guitar fretboard.

The meaning of scales in music

In musical terms, a scale is a palette of notes from which you can select the notes you need to build chords, solo melodies, accompaniments and anything else in hopes of getting a good sound.

Look at it this way: before you can become a poet, you need to master the Russian language. Scales are the language of music, and there are many ways to combine them with each other to create interesting compositions.

Not knowing scales is like trying to write a poem without using words. I admit that in some cases this will work, and the result will be wonderful, but the possibilities will expand significantly if you adhere to the generally accepted means of expression, which are scales.

There are many types of scales. Think of them as increasing your vocabulary and receiving new original ways expressing your ideas.

Boxes

Let's return to fingerings for a moment. When studying fingerings, as a rule, the sequence of frets on the fingerboard is divided into “boxes”. Boxing is just a group of notes in the scale that can be easily played without unnecessary movement on the fretboard. The boxes are designed by moving up from the low E string, and playing one note of the scale after another, starting from any note, no matter what it is.

There is an important point regarding boxing/fingering. This is that they remain the same no matter what key you play your scale in. If you are playing the C major scale using a specific box or fingering, and you want to play the A major scale, all you have to do is move the fingering up 2 frets. Why is that?

Let's figure it out. C and A are separated by 2 semitones. If you move the box up the fretboard, none of the intervals between notes will change. So you're playing exactly the same formula, just using a different tonic. This means you have to learn each fingering once, and can use it for each of the 12 notes!

Tonic

A source of confusion for some people is the fact that in many fingerings the note listed as the lowest note is not the root note. If you are thinking about it, then it is correct. Let's start with the G major scale. Our first box should start on the low E string, 3rd fret - which is G. We add notes starting from this scale to build the scale:

G A B C D E F# G A B C D E F# G
(Sol, A, Si, Do, Re, Mi, F-sharp, Sol, A, Si, Do, Re, Mi, F-sharp, Sol).

To build the next box, we would have to move from G up one tone to the 5th fret, which is A. Now, we begin to build our range from there:

A B C D E F# G A B C D E F# G A
(A, Si, Do, Re, Mi, F-sharp, G, A, Si, Do, Re, Mi, F-sharp, G, A).

It takes 7 notes to get to our tonic Salt!

It's not difficult - you just have to understand which note is the tonic and where it is located. However, more often it will happen that there are no suitable notes above or below the tonic that are part of the scale and suitable for playing (thus, playing will start from the tonic).

The tonic is very important because it determines the scale you play (along with the type, major, minor, etc.). Although there is no rule that says that you should always start the scale with the tonic. Think of the scale as a palette of notes from which you need to choose the right ones to play.

What scales should you learn?

Any colors you want! Scales are an important part of your creative arsenal. The more scales you know, the more ways you have to express yourself. Let's note some of them.

1. Minor pentatonic scale.

This is the first scale that most people learn. It's simple because it only contains five notes, and it immediately opens up enormous possibilities for improvisation and blues/rock playing.

2. Major pentatonic scale.

This is a variation of the minor pentatonic scale, they are very similar.

3. Major scale.

One of the main scales in music.

4. Natural minor scale.

Together with the major scale, they form the basis of all music. In fact, the pentatonic scale is a minor scale, with just a few notes missing. So wherever you use the minor scale, you can also use the pentatonic scale.

With a set of the above scales you will rock and probably be able to play 95% of the music you are familiar with. You can be a very competent musician even if you stop at this point. The following scales are more limited in use and have a more jazzy sound. They will bring new shades to your music.

5. Harmonic minor / melodic minor.

Two minor scale variations that have a special sound, especially the harmonic minor.

6. Major and minor modes (Ionian, Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, Mixolydian, Aeolian, Locrian).

Natural modes are actually variations of the major scale, which are built according to special rules. Depending on the fret you use, they will give the music various shades. The major natural scales are great to learn once you've fully mastered the scales mentioned above.

By the time you master major scales and other scales, you will become an accomplished musician, with large range opportunities.

7. Exotic colors.

There are hundreds of exotic scales, many of them used in certain types of folk music.

Each type of scale will be given Special attention in other articles. At this stage, you just need to understand why we use them and why they are so important.

Scales are instrumental component of any musical repertoire. They form the key template elements for piece of music and improvisation in almost any style and genre. Taking the time to master the most basic scales is what separates an average musician from a great master. Luckily, when it comes to guitar, learning scales usually comes down to memorizing simple patterns through constant practice.

Steps

Part 1

Basic concepts and terms

Already have some basic knowledge of music theory? Then go directly to the scales by clicking.

  1. Learn to read a guitar fretboard. On a guitar, the front, long, thin part where you rest your fingers is called the neck. Convex metal sills on the fretboard divide it into frets. Scales are created by playing notes at various combinations frets, so it is important to be able to distinguish between them:

    • Frets are numbered from the head of the guitar towards the body. For example, the topmost saddle at the head of a guitar is first fret(or "fret 1"), the next fret is second fret, and so on.
    • Pressing a string at a specific fret and striking that string above the body of the guitar plays the corresponding note. The closer the frets are to the body of the guitar, the higher the notes.
    • The dots on the frets are used to remember fret positions - they make it easy to remember where you press your fingers without having to constantly count the frets from the head of the guitar.

  2. Learn the names of the notes on the fretboard. Each fret on a guitar plays a note that has its own name. Luckily, there are only 12 notes in total - the names just keep repeating. The notes you can play are below. Keep in mind that some notes have two different names:

    • A (A), A-sharp/B-flat (A#/Bb), B (B), C (C), C-sharp/D-flat (C#/Db), D (D), D-sharp/ E-flat (D#/Eb), E (E), F (F), F-sharp/G-flat (F#/Gb), G (G), G-sharp/A-flat (G#/Ab). After this, the notes are repeated again, starting with A.
    • Learning the positions of different notes is not something very difficult, but it does take some time to cover in this article.

  3. Learn the names of the strings. You you can refer to different strings by calling them "the thickest, the second thickest", and so on, but it is much easier to talk about scales if you know their actual names. In addition, this is also useful, since the strings are named according to the note they play when no fret is pressed. In normal six string guitar with standard setting the strings are named as follows:

    • mi(the thickest)
    • salt
    • mi(the thinnest) - note that this string has the same name as the thickest, so some people call them “low” and “high” to differentiate.

  4. Explore the concept of tones and halftones in scales. Simply put, a scale is simply a sequence of notes that sound pleasant when played in order. When you start studying scales, you will realize that all scales are built on patterns of “tones” and “halftones.” This sounds quite complicated, but they simply serve as a way of describing the different intervals on the fretboard.

    • Semitone- This is an interval of one fret lower or higher. For example, if you play C (A string, third fret), moving up one fret will give you a C sharp note (A string, fourth fret). We can say that the notes C and C sharp differ by a semitone.
    • Tone– the same thing, only the interval will be in two frets. For example, if we stand on C and move up two frets, we play the note D (A string, fifth fret). Thus, the notes C and D differ by whole tone.

  5. Gamma level. You are almost ready to learn scales. The last concept to remember is "degrees" to define notes - since scales are sequences of notes that need to be played in order. The steps are listed below. Learning the quantitative names for each stage is very important - other names are used less often.

    • The note you start on is called main tone or first. Sometimes it is also called tonic.
    • The second note is called second or upper introductory tone.
    • The third note is called third or mediant.
    • The fourth note is called fourth or subdominant.
    • The fifth note is called fifth or dominant.
    • The sixth note is called sixth or submediant.
    • The seventh note is called seventh- it has several other names that vary depending on the scale, so we will omit them in this article.
    • The eighth note is called octave. She is also sometimes called tonic, since it is the same note as the first one, only higher.
    • After the octave, you can either start over with the second or continue with the ninth. For example, a note after an octave may be called a "ninth" or a "second", but it is the same note either way.

    Part 2

    Major scales

    1. Select the starting note (root note) for your scale. The type of scale we will study in this section is major gamma. This a good choice For primary education, since most other scales are based on the major scale. One great thing about scales is that you can play them starting from any note. To start, pick any note below the 12th fret on the low E or A string. By playing one of the low strings, you'll have plenty of room to move up and down the scale.

      • For example, let's start with salt(low E string, third fret). In this section you will learn how to play the G major scale - scales are named according to their fundamental tones.

    2. Study the scale diagram of the major scale. Any scale can be written as a pattern of whole tones and semitones. It is very important to learn the degree diagram of the major scale, since most other scales come from it. See below:

      • Start with the base tone, then follow these steps: Tone, tone, semitone, tone, tone, tone, semitone.
      • For example, if we are standing on G, we will first move up a whole tone to A. Then, we'll move to another tone in B. Next, we'll move up a semitone to C. Following the diagram above, the scale will continue by playing the notes D, E, F sharp, and end on G.

    3. Learn fingering for the major scale. You can play the entire scale on one string, but it's too easy - something you don't usually notice with guitarists. Instead, a much more common practice would be to move up and down multiple strings as you play this scale. This will reduce the number of times you need to move your hand.

      • For the G major scale learned, we start playing at the third fret on the low E string. Then we play A and B on the fifth and seventh frets of the E string.
      • Next, we play C on the third fret A strings. We play D and E on the fifth and seventh frets of the A string.
      • Then we play F sharp on the fourth fret D strings. We finish by playing a G on the fifth fret of the D string. Notice that we didn't have to move our hand up and down the fingerboard to play this way - we just played different strings and pulled their fingers.
      • All together it should be like this: Low E string: A string: D string:

    4. Try running this pattern up and down the bar. As long as you start playing on the low E or A string, the fingering of the major scale you've learned can be played from any position on the fretboard. In other words, simply move all the notes up or down the same number of frets/degrees to play different major scales.

      • For example, if you want to play a B major scale, you just need to move across the fretboard to the seventh fret of the low E string. Then, you just need to use the same fingering as before to play a scale like this: Low E string: B (7th fret), C sharp (9th fret), D sharp (11th fret) A string: E (7th fret), F sharp (9th fret), G sharp (11th fret) D string: A sharp (8th fret), B (9th fret)
      • Notice that the placement of the fingers on the frets is exactly the same as before. Simply move up and down to play different major scales.

    5. Learn scales by running up and down. Typically scales do not only play in one direction. Once you've mastered playing the major scale up, try playing it backwards once you've played a full octave. All you need to do is play the same notes, but in reverse order - without any changes.

      • For example, if you need to play a B major scale up and down, you would play the notes like this: Game up: B, C-sharp, D-sharp, E, F-sharp, G-sharp, A-sharp, B Play Down: B, A-sharp, G-sharp, F-sharp, E, D-sharp, C-sharp, B
      • If you want to play a scale in 4/4 time, play each note as a quarter note or an eighth note. Play the octave twice or go to the ninth note (the tone just beyond the octave), then go back. This will give you required amount notes so that the scale “equals” the score.

      Part 3

      Minor scales

      1. Remember the difference between a minor and a major scale. The minor scale has a lot in common with the major scale. Like the major scale, minor scales are named according to their fundamental tones (for example, E minor, A minor, and so on). Most of the notes are even the same. There are just a few differences you need to remember:

        • At the minor scale the third stage is reduced.
        • At the minor scale sixth stage goes down.
        • At the minor scale the seventh stage is reduced.
        • To lower a note, simply move it down a semitone. This means that the third and seventh notes in the scale will be one fret lower than in the major scale.

      2. Learn the step pattern for the minor scale. The difference from the major scale will be the decrease on the third, sixth and seventh notes in the minor scale scheme. Memorization new scheme can be very useful when mastering minor scales.

        • The minor scale scheme begins with the root tone, that is: Tone, semitone, tone, tone, semitone, tone, semitone.
        • For example, if you want to play the G scale minor, start playing the G major scale and lower the third, sixth and seventh degrees by semitones. Gamma salt major: sol, la, si, do, re, mi, fa-sharp, sol
        • ...hence gamma salt- minor will: salt, la, B-flat, before, re, E-flat, F, salt

      3. Learn the fingering for minor scales. Just like with major scales, notes in minor scales are played on specific scales, and you can run up and down the fretboard playing different minor scales. As long as you start playing minor scales with a low E string or A string, the minor pattern will be the same.

        • For example, let's play the E-flat minor scale. To do this, we'll simply start playing the E-flat scale, while lowering the third, sixth and seventh degrees down one fret, like this: A string: E-flat (6th fret), F (8th fret), F sharp (9th fret) D string: A-flat (6th fret), B-flat (8th fret), B (9th fret) G string: D-flat (6th fret), E-flat (8th fret)

      4. Practice playing scales up and down. Like major scales, minor scales are also often played up and down. You simply play the same sequence of notes, but in reverse without changes.

        • For example, if you want to play the E-flat scale up and down, you would do it like this: Up: E-flat, F, F-sharp, A-flat, B-flat, B, D-flat, E-flat Down: E-flat, D-flat, B, B-flat, A-flat, F-sharp, F, E-flat
        • Here you can also add a ninth degree (in this case, the note F after the octave) or play the octave twice to get into 4/4 time.

      Part 4

      Other useful scales

      1. Practice playing chromatic scales for practice and speed. One useful variety of scales to practice is the chromatic scale. In this range all degrees are divided into semitones. This means that a chromatic scale can be composed simply by running up and down the frets in a certain order.

        • Try this chromatic exercise: Start by choosing one of the strings on your guitar (it doesn't matter which). Start counting the 4/4 rhythm. Play by open string(without pressing the note on the fret) like a quarter note, then on the first fret, then on the second, and third. Without stopping, play the first fret, the second, third and fourth. Keep the rhythm steady and play second, then third, fourth and fifth. Continue this pattern until you get to the 12th fret, then come back!
        • For example, if you play the high E string, your chromatic exercise would be: Count times: E (open), F (1st fret), F-sharp (2nd fret), G (3rd fret) Account 2: F (1st fret), F-sharp (2nd fret), G (3rd fret), G-sharp (4th fret)
        • ...and so on until the 12th fret (and back).

      2. Learn the pentatonic scale. The pentatonic scale contains only 5 notes and they all sound pleasant when played simultaneously, so this scale is often used in solo parts. In particular, minor pentatonic scale extremely popular in rock, jazz and blues. This scale is so commonly used that it is sometimes simply called "pentatonic" for short. We will study this range below.

        • The minor pentatonic scale contains the following steps: Fundamental tone, decreased 3rd degree, fourth, fifth, and decreased seventh degree (plus octave). It's practically a minor scale, but without the second and sixth degrees.
        • For example, if we start on the low E string, the A minor pentatonic scale would be: Low E string: A (5th fret), C (8th fret) A string: D (5th fret), E (7th fret) D string: G (5th fret), A (7th fret)
        • Here, if you want, you can continue playing the same notes on the high strings: G string: C (5th fret), D (7th fret) B string: E (5th fret), G (8th fret) E string: A (5th fret), G (8th fret)

      3. Learn the blues scale. Once you've mastered the minor pentatonic scale, it's very easy to play the associated "blues scale." To do this you just need to add lower fifth step of the scale to the minor pentatonic scale. This will give you a scale with six notes - everything else is unchanged.

        • For example, if you need to turn an A minor pentatonic scale into an A blues scale, play it like this: Low E string: A (5th fret), C (8th fret) A string: D (5th fret), E-flat (6th fret), mi (7th fret) D string: G (5th fret), A (7th fret) G string: do (5th fret), re (7th fret), E-flat (8th fret) B string: E (5th fret), G (8th fret) E string: A (5th fret), C (8th fret)
        • The lowered fifth is known as the "blue note". Even though it's in a scale, it's a bit odd-sounding and dissonant in itself, so if you're playing a solo part, try to use it as a lead-in tone. - that is, play it “on the transition” to another note. Don't hold that blue note too long!

      4. Learn two-octave versions of all scales. Once you get to an octave of the scale, you don't have to go back. Simply treat the octave as the new root and use the same step pattern to play the second octave. We've already touched on this briefly in our study of the minor pentatonic scale, but it's something you can practice with almost any scale. Starting from the position of the bottom two strings, it is quite easy to cover two whole octaves in the same part of the fretboard. Note that the second octave usually contains distinct fingering even when considering the same steps.

        • Let's learn the two-octave major scale - once you memorize it, it will be easy to understand any other two-octave versions of major scales. We will try G major (the very first scale we studied in this article). On this moment we can do this: Low E string: G (3rd fret), A (5th fret), B (7th fret) A string: do (3rd fret), re (5th fret), mi (7th fret) D string: F sharp (4th fret), G (5th fret)
        • Continue using the same pattern: tone, tone, semitone, and so on... D string: G (5th fret), A (7th fret) G string: B (4th fret), C (5th fret), D (7th fret) B string: E (5th fret), F sharp (7th fret), G (8th fret)
        • ...and then we come back!