This is by far the most versatile scale out there and the one most people learn first. To get started with our five guitar scales, let’s begin with a simple minor pentatonic scale. There are different types of guitar scales, including not just major and minor scales but also pentatonic scales and modes, for instance. People who are accustomed to Western music are often most familiar with major scales that consist of seven notes with whole and half steps between them. The distance, or interval, between notes in a scale determines its sound and character. Understanding scales is one of the prerequisites for improvising a guitar solo and understanding music theory in general. The notes in a scale are usually ascending or descending in order.

How to learn guitar scales in a nutshellīefore getting ahead of ourselves, let’s briefly define what guitar scales are exactly and why you should learn them.Ī guitar scale is a sequence of notes played in a specific order on the guitar.

We’ll be moving in order of complexity, so read on as we explore how you can learn guitar scales and impress others with your guitar-playing skills. When all else fails, every guitar player should have these scales up their sleeve and ready to go. Practicing these scales will not only help with your sense of freedom and command of the guitar, but it will improve your technique as well. We’re going to cover the five most essential beginner guitar scales.

The good news is that this is an easy predicament to solve. This is a recurring nightmare for most guitar players. And… you wake up in a moment of panic, horror-movie-style. The intro of the song is whizzing by, and you start to wonder, “Is it hot in here?!” It’s your turn to play, your time to face the music. You feel you should have learned a few guitar scales by now, but you didn’t know where to start or how to use them. They start playing in G and ask you to improvise a solo. You’re invited to a jam session to play with a few friends.

Imagine this: You’ve learned your guitar chords.

B flat minor guitar scale