Learn Guitar Scales

Learning to play chords is one of the first guitar lessons that is taught to beginners. Chords are very important to play guitar songs, and for advancing to the next steps in guitar playing. After you are well versed with all major and minor chords, the next step is to learn to play scales on the fretboard. Scales are mostly used to play 'lead' on the guitar, and it can also be effectively used to play the bass guitar. Once you learn guitar scales and are proficient in them, you can play a combination of both chords as well as scales to better your guitaring skill.

What are Guitar Scales?

A guitar scale can be referred to a set of notes which are played individually, out of which some notes form a complete chord when played together. There are many types of scales such as major, minor, pentatonic, chromatic, etc. Out of these, the first 'major' and 'minor' scales are most commonly used. Possessing an understanding for different guitar scales is very crucial in finding out the chords for an unknown song. A good thing is that once you come to know their basic format on the fingerboard, you can play all scales with ease. A combination of a few notes from a particular scale makes a chord. In a guitar scale, the individual tones of any song can be played.

Positions of Guitar Scales

C Scale

Major

e-----------------------------------------------
B-----------------------------------------------
G----------2-----4--5-------------------------
D----------2--3-----5-------------------------
A----------3---------5-------------------------
E-----------------------------------------------

Minor

e-----------------------------------------------
B-----------------------------------------------
G---------3---------5-------------------------
D---------3---------5---6---------------------
A---------3---------5---6---------------------
E-----------------------------------------------

D Scale

Major

e-----------------------------------------------
B----------------------------------------------
G----------4------6---7----------------------
D----------4--5-------7----------------------
A--------------5-------7----------------------
E----------------------------------------------

Minor

e----------------------------------------------
B----------------------------------------------
G-------------5----7-------------------------
D-------------5----7---8---------------------
A-------------5----7----8--------------------
E----------------------------------------------

E Scale

Major

e------0----------------------------------------
B---------------2----4-------------------------
G---------1----2----4-------------------------
D---------------2----4-------------------------
A------------------------------------------------
E------------------------------------------------

Minor

e------------------------------------------------
B------------------------------------------------
G------------------------------------------------
D-----------0-----2----------------------------
A-----------0-----2----3-----------------------
E-----------0-----2----3-----------------------

F Scale

Major

e------------------------------------------------
B------------------------------------------------
G------------------------------------------------
D----------0--------2----3---------------------
A----------0----1--------3---------------------
E---------------1--------3---------------------

Minor
e------------------------------------------------
B------------------------------------------------
G------------------------------------------------
D----------------1----3------------------------
A----------------1----3--4---------------------
E----------------1----3--4---------------------

G Scale

Major

e------------------------------------------------
B------------------------------------------------
G-----------0-----------------------------------
D-----------0---2-------4---------------------
A-----------0---2---3-------------------------
E--------------------3-------------------------

Minor

e-----------------------------------------------
B-----------------------------------------------
G-----------0----------------------------------
D-----------0---1-------3--------------------
A-----------0----1-------3-------------------
E-------------------------3-------------------

A Scale

Major

e---------------2-------4---5-----------------
B---------------2---3-------5-----------------
G---------------2-------4---------------------
D-----------------------------------------------
A-----------------------------------------------
E-----------------------------------------------

Minor

e-----------------------------------------------
B-----------------------------------------------
G-------------0-----2-------------------------
D-------------0-----2---3--------------------
A-------------0-----2----3-------------------
E----------------------------------------------

B Scale

Major

e-----------------------------------------------
B-----------------------------------------------
G---------------1--------3--4----------------
D---------------1---2-------4----------------
A--------------------2-------4----------------
E----------------------------------------------

Minor

e-----------------------------------------------
B-----------------------------------------------
G--------------2----4-------------------------
D--------------2----4----5-------------------
A--------------2----4----5-------------------
E----------------------------------------------

These are the simple basic fret notations of major and minor scales. Remember that you can play any scale on any string, by just changing the positions appropriately. As you practice, you will yourself come to know the guitar scale playing and changing techniques on the fretboard. Note that guitar scales are the most essential elements if you want to play lead on the electric guitar or the bass guitar. As you develop your skill, you will also get to know the different types of scales and their notations. To get a visual demonstration, you can observe guitarists playing lead on the fingerboard. To be good at playing guitar scales, regular practice is absolutely necessary.