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Question
From the beginning of my journey to play the guitar, my friends that can play the guitar has been telling me to "learn scales", but I still to this very day don't know how to actually "learn scales", like which scales do I learn first? (I've been playing for around 3 months, and I'm really looking to improve. I'm planning to learn the major scale first, is it right?)
My target on the guitar is being able to fingerstyle a song without looking for a tab or any resource on the internet. So which scale is suitable for me to learn to effectively achieve this goal?
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Start with either the major scale, or the pentatonic scale, which is just a subset of the major scale. You'll get differing opinions on what you should learn first, but either will get you on your way and you can branch off to other scales from your first.
Learn the major scale. Practically every other scale is built off of it or is a slight variation of it. It's also useful because it can help you learn to play by ear since so many songs' melodies fall on that scale. You'll get to learn how intervals sound. It's also fundamental to theory, so when you hear people talk 3rds of 5ths you'll know what they mean.
Stat with the major scale. Understand what a "major" scale means. Pick a note, play that note, and then follow this sequence
Whole step - Whole - Half Step - Whole - Whole - Whole - Half.
(I recommend starting with G, a lot of people like C because there are not # or b, but I like G because most of the notes fall on a dot on the fret board, which I think makes it easier to learn)
At the end of this sequence you will have played 7 unique notes, and the 8th note will be G again, but 1 octave higher. Each note can be referred to as a number. That number is basically the order that it is.
So the G major scale is as follow:
G(1) - A(2) - B(3) - C(4) - D(5) - E(6) - F#(7)
Not only do these 7 notes sound good together, but you can also use them to make chords. Pick any note on this scale. Then use every other note until you have 3 notes to create a major, minor, or diminished chord.
So starting at G, every other note would be G(1) - B(3) - D(5). This is a G major chord.
Stating at A, you get A(2) - C(4) - E(6). This is an A minor chord.
Only F# will be a diminished chord. Most music doens't really use them, so you can worry about them later. As for why the chords above are major or minor, it has to do with the distance between the notes in each respective chord. This is the next thing you want to learn after you master the scale.
To "learn a scale" I recommended starting on any note, and just playing the scale. Play the entire scale on one string. Try playing the scale by playing 3 notes on each string. Or 4 notes on each string, try playing the scale starting from a note other than 1. Get to a point where you can more or less visualize where the notes of that scale are without needing to really thing about it. This is a process that will take months or years. It is something you can practice while learning songs and other concepts. Repeat this process using different keys. Then repeat this process with the natural minor scale. The natural minor scale is exactly the same as the major scale. The only difference is you start on note 6 instead of note 1. So G major and E minor are the scale, they just start on different notes.
One you feel like you are starting to get a feel for this, start learning the "modes" of the major scale and chord theory. I would chew on everything above for at least a week or two before you look up these next concepts as they won't make sense if scales don't click yet.
As others have said learn the major scale. Every other scale is built off it. I was taught and teach myself the 3 note per string major scale. there are 7 positions. Burn them into your brain along with the major and minor root notes in each position.
Learn the C Major scale from frets 5 to 8. Then you can start to play along with songs in C major and A minor. Then learn how the scale extends down to the second fret and up to the 10th. Pay attention to where the C and A notes are in each position. Remember that the whole fretboard loops so that fret 12 equals the nut.
Now you can learn how to move the whole scale pattern to another key. For G major, just find a G note, and anchor your pattern there, where the C was in the C major scale. You'll find that where all the A notes were in the pattern, there are now E notes. At this point, you can start thinking in intervals. The C in C major is the root. The A in C major is the 6th. Same with G and E in G major. Same with D and B in D major. Just find the root of the key, and base your pattern there.
Finish connecting the C major pattern from fret 2 to the nut and from 10 to 12. Now you have the whole fretboard, and can slide it up and down without gaps.
If you want to just get something quick and easy for now, learn some major or pentatonic patterns.
Honestly though, I'd say it's worth learning about intervals and the construction of the major scale. It'll really pay off in the long run to get that ball rolling early.
I think Tom Quayle has some great resources on youtube for this and other stuff too.
C Major is where I’d recommend to start. How you go about it is they key.
If you look up C major scale on guitar, or any other scale, you’ll likely find a bunch of diagrams showing “scale patterns” and I highly recommend you don’t follow this approach because you’re not really learning the scale, you’re learning the patterns. Best to first learn on a single string using one finger and really understanding what exactly the major scale is, basically the intervals making it up. Once you have this you can do any Major scale and you’ll have the foundation to build upon for any scale, because they’re just based on different intervals.
I started learning scales to improvise. Personally I would start with the pentatonic scales, because they are easier to start improvising. I started with the pentatonic minor because that was a good scale to improvise over blues and rock. The pentatonic major can be played with the same patterns, you just start on a different note.
With my students now I also always start with the pentatonic scales. Then the diatonic (7 tone) major and minor scales.
Learn the 5 shapes of the major scale, they contain both major shapes and all 7 modes of it as well. Also u can remove the tritone notes and have the pentatonic shape that corresponds to it. Once u learn them, learn the arpeggios within them, which also can be learnt easier if u see the chord that corresponds to it
YouTube, Julesguitar, he's a whiz at explaining and demoing scales, how they work and how to make yourself sound musical
In basic terms, start at the A minor scale, it's one of the most common scales as it has only standard notes, no flats or sharps. 5 notes and you play from the first note A. It starts at the 5th fret top String